A Curse that can't be Broken
by Super Villain Nova
Summary: Set after the Final Chapter. You think the story is over, when only it is really beginning. Opening up a whole new book with new and old faces can bring both happiness and sadness. But hat happens when that book is not only the past... But the future as well?
1. Beginning or End?

**First ever OUAT FanFiction. I look forward to reviews, likes and faves.**

 **I don't own anything from OUAT, I do however am the master mind behind the three OC's.**

 **Set after the Final Chapter!**

Once Upon A Time...

There was a legend of the savior. Her name was Emma, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. She over came many obstacles and defeated the ultimate evil. Everyone thought that, that would be the end to their story... The End...

Or was it?...

It had only been a few months since Emma's final battle. Life continued on in Storybrooke where a lot of people from all over the magical realms found to be their new homes. But something seemed a bit off, probably because no one had to fight for their lives, or have to worry about some evil coming into their town... Life was... normal. and it was eating away at her.

She one was a lost little girl with no family and now here she was, the savior that saved everyone she loved and held dear. But now what? The final chapter was over and life continued on like nothing had ever happen.

Emma looked around at the empty sheriff's office. David had taken the morning shift and it was her turn to take the night shift. For the past couple of months, nothing happen. Absolutely Nothing... She felt like it was driving her up a wall!

The phone rang and she literally jumped out of her chair to answer it. "Sheriff's office." She caught herself from sounding too excited... but her excitement ran away when she heard the voice on the other end. "Oh..." She frowned deeply as the person explained that they had dialed the wrong number. "Ok well, you have a good night then." She stated before awkwardly hanging up the phone. She let out a rough sigh and let her shoulders drop.

The room was way too quiet for her liking. She felt a little better when it started to rain. At least there was some kind of noise. She was never really fond of the rain to begin with, but for the night being so quiet... She was glad that there was something going on.

Emma looked to the window and then to clock on the wall. She pondered if she wanted food or not. "Granny's is still open." She stated to herself as she quickly got up from her chair and grabbed her red leather jacket. She rushed out of the office as quick as she could. Anything was better than just sitting around all night.

When she got to Granny's she felt a small smile wanting to rush to her lips. The place was always busy and full of friendly and familiar faces. Tonight was no different. Well, maybe it wasn't that busy. It was a bit quiet, but at the far back table she spotted two faces she could never forget.

"Late night dinner kid?" She asked ruffling Henry's hair.

Henry smiled and looked up from his plate before patting his hair back into place. Sitting across from Henry was of course Henry's second mother.

Regina.

"Late night?" She asked in a comforting voice.

From an outsider's perspective, one would not even think that at one point these two powerful women, fought long and hard against one another.

Emma shrugged. "It's the start of it." She commented with a dull tone.

"Why don't you join us?" Regina offered.

Emma twisted her lips a bit as she looked to the front door and then to her watch. "Yeah why not." With her quick words she found herself sitting down next to Henry.

As the three sat there Emma thought about how she might have answer too fast. For the table had gone quiet. "Is it weird?" Emma asked Regina.

Regina shook her head and held up a hand, "We've been through too much for it to be weird." Regina reassured Emma.

And yet the table still feel quiet again. Emma looked at Regina and Henry's food before turning around in her seat spotting Granny rather quickly. "Can I get a menu?" She asked. Granny nodded from behind the bar and went to go pick up a menu for the savior.

But all came to a halt when a loud crash and a scream could be heard coming from outside. All attentions were quickly diverted to the door and the front window of Granny's shop.

"What is that?" Regina questioned.

Emma glanced back to Regina, "Not sure." She said getting to her feet quickly. Regina was quick too. "Stay here Henry." Regina stated as she followed Emma to the front door.

Henry watched both of his mothers as they went to go check things out. It was a bit annoying how they still sometimes treated him like a child. He was well into his teenage years and he had been through just as much as they had.

Emma opened the door to find a car crashed into another and two figures in the middle of the street.

Emma and Regina were quick to rush to the scene. "What happen?" Emma asked as the driver of one vehicle stepped out of his car. The man shook his head, "They just came out of no where." He said holding his head.

Emma looked from the man to the other car before looking to the two figures in the road. One of the figures was laying on the ground as the other held the first figure in their arms.

Emma made her way over to the two figures. She pulled her flashlight from her belt and turned it on as she walked over. "Are you ok?" she asked as she got closer to them.

A young male, no more than Henry's age, was laying on the ground, passed out and wrapped in a dark black cloak. Emma turned her light to the second figure to reveal a girl with long black hair and pale skin. Her brown eyes shined in the light, but that wasn't the first thing Emma noticed. She too had a cloak similar to the boys, her hood pulled over hear head, sheltering what it could from the rain. The young girl who looked younger than the boy was in tears.

"Please... Help him..." The girl pushed through her tears.

Emma looked back to the boy. Their features were similar to one another, so she could only guess that they were related. Emma blinked at the sight. She looked back to Regina who was still back over by the driver.

"Please..."

The girl's words pulled Emma's attention back to the two.

 **I know this is a short chapter, but it gets the ball rolling. Please leave reviews and let me know what you think so far. I look forward to hearing what you have to say. (^_^)**


	2. Lie Detector

As she drove in the rain she couldn't help but replay the night's events through her mind. Regina had seen a lot of magic... A lot of dark magic as well. But what she saw on the boy's arm was beyond her. She had heard of markings caused by the use of powerful magic, but had never seen such markings in real life. Such tales of magic like that only came from her studies when she was younger.

She heard of a strong wizard that went by the name of Uther.

The tales of Arthur and Merlin were not mystery to Storybrooke. But she knew there was far more to that story... and it held much darker magic than one could imagine.

Regina pulled up to the hospital and parked her car near the front. She turned off the ignition but failed to step out of the vehicle. Her eyes looked to the building and then up to the rainy skies.

As Emma attended to the girl and the boy, the driver spoke of a third.

"There was another person in the road... The man said he hit the figure, but the figure turned into a green and black mist upon impact. He had swerved and missed the two, only to run into a parked car. Thank god no one got hurt.

As Regina left the driver and went to Emma's side, that's when she noticed the markings on the boys arms. Black spots and swirls, burned into the skin. A few of the markings looked new and fresh while most of the others looked old and faded.

Regina withheld this information from Emma at the time. Instead she drove Henry home, dropping him off with Killian and then headed to meet Emma at the hospital. And there she was, still sitting in her car, staring at the building as the rain began to fall harder.

Regina snapped out of her daze when her cellphone went of. She jumped a bit as she reached into her pocket and answered the phone quickly. "I just arrived." She nodded to herself.

"Good." Emma answered. "I just got word from the doctor." Emma glanced over her shoulder and looked to the window, showing her the boy and girl from before. The girl sat as close as she could to the boy's bed, watching him carefully as he slept. "They said something about a drain of energy." She spoke into the phone. Her eyes watched as the young girl sat up and reached out to the sleeping boy. She brushed some of the boys wet black hair from his face before sitting back into her chair.

"Where are they now?" Regina asked as she gathered her things quickly.

"I got them set up in a room..." Emma turned away from the window and took a few steps. "The boy has yet to wake and the girl wont seem to talk."

At the mention of the girl, Regina could clearly recall the look on the girl's face when she looked at her. It was only there for a second and she couldn't really tell what the look was about, but she felt as if the girl knew her. "I'll be right up." Regina quickly ended the call before rushing from her car to the building.

Regina didn't have such a great past, but she had made up for her wrongs many of times, over and over again. But she knew that there were still some people out there who still knew her and saw her as the evil queen. She wondered if the reason for that look...

Regina made her way through the hospital and soon found Emma standing in the hallway. "That room?" Regina asked as she pointed to the room closest to Emma. Emma nodded. Regina was about to walk past Emma when Emma stopped her. "Regina." Emma glanced to the window.

Regina gave Emma a questionable look. "What?" she asked.

Emma let go of Regina and shrugged. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Regina could tell a lot was running through their saviors mind. A lot was running through her own mind.

"Maybe..." Emma struggled with her words and her decision. "Maybe we should take our time with this." She suggested. "They're just kids and they've already been through a lot it seems." Emma knew what it was like to be a kid, lost, cold and scared in the world. "It looks to me that they were running from something." She added.

Regina came to the same conclusion but from the markings she saw, she felt that it was something big. Really Big!

"Emma." Regina started. She held up a hand as if to tell the other woman to calm down, "I just have a few questions."

"I have more... Than a few questions." Emma interrupted Regina.

Regina gave a stern short nod. "I understand that." She gave Emma a small smile followed by a short sign. She looked to the window to see the girl still sitting by the young boy's bed. she tilted her head as she watched the two. Her eyes drifting slowly to the black markings still visible on the boy's arms. Something else caught her eyes... The clothing the girl was wearing. It looked more like the fashion they had in the Enchanted Forest, but it held class, style, gold within the stitching. And the style was close to hers when she was Queen. More of a gothic look, but the girl's style was a tad bit simple for her old taste.

Next she noticed the cloak the girl had on when they found them. It was resting on the back of the girl's chair along with the cloak the boy had been wearing. Both were made with high quality cloth. She looked about even more. They had changed the boy into a hospital gown, so where was his...

Regina spotted the boy's clothing on a small table not too far from the girl's reach. She couldn't really see what style the clothing was, but she could pick out similar stitching and patterns to what the girl was wearing. That kind of clothing didn't come cheap and those that wore such clothing came from rich and powerful families.

"Regina?" Emma asked.

Regina snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Emma quickly.

"You ok?" Emma asked.

Regina blinked before composing herself. "I'm fine." She told Emma. She looked back to the room.

Emma and Regina refrained from entering the room for a few hours or so. They sat on a bench right outside the room, keeping an eye on their guests for the time being. Emma chose not to press for information until the boy regained consciousness. Well that's what they both agreed on, but at one point they decided to ask the girl some questions, what help that brought them.

The most they got were just names.

The girl went by the name Edith and she mentioned that the boy was her older brother Coal. When Emma or Regina asked more questions the girl went silent and would try to not even look at them.

"My savior!" Emma cried out as she pulled herself out of her chair. Killian gave Emma crooked smile as he walked over with a to-go tray with three cups of coffee and hanging from his hook a small plastic bag. Emma shuffled her feet over to him and gave him a small peek on the lips before diving into the bag and taking a cup from the tray.

Emma's eyes went wide as she looked in the bag and then looked up to Killian with a thoughtful smirk. "Bear claw?" she asked pulling out the donuts.

"Never doubt a pirate love." Killian gave off a smile of accomplishment.

Emma took a sip from her coffee and turned to Regina. Killian lifted the tray and wiggled it around as if inviting her to have a cup.

Regina smiled and got up from her chair. "Don't mind if I do." She stated as she walked over and took a cup.

"So what's the scoop then?" Killian asked motioning towards the room.

Emma glanced at the door and then back to Killian. "A mystery really." She shrugged. "They just showed up out of no where." She looked at the window. She noticed the girl Edith had been looking at them and once they looked her way she turned away quickly. "A silent mystery that wont speak to us." Emma added with a small hint of sarcasm.

"Huh?" Killian twisted his jaw and nodded.

"Well there was a third party involved." Regina added.

"The driver." Emma pointed out.

"Actually..." Regina dragged out her words.

Emma tilted her head at this. "What do you mean third party?"

Regina realized that Emma didn't know about the figure that turned into mist. "I thought you knew?" She really did. "After the accident the driver mentioned another figure. The one that he actually hit."

Emma looked surprised at this. "But he didn't hit anyone. He hit a parked car." Emma stated.

Regina shook her head, "He said that he hit someone, but when he hit the person... They just turned into some kind of mist." Regina leaned to one side as she studied Emma's face. "He didn't tell you?" She asked.

Emma shook her head, "This is news to me." She looked to Killian.

Killian shifted his weight as he tried to place what he knew together. It wasn't much and he knew that both Emma and Regina knew more about what was going on at the moment. "So, there were three people." He stated, but his words sounded like a question.

Regina nodded while Emma shook her head.

Regina rose a brow at Emma.

Emma looked wide eyed from Regina to Killian and then back to Regina, "There wasn't any sign of another person."

Regina sighed at this. "The driver stated clearly that the third person turn to mist." Regina restated.

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to think. She couldn't recall the driver mentioning a third person. "So what does it mean?" Emma asked, letting a hand drop to the side as the other held her coffee.

Regina frowned and shook her head.

Edith glanced over her shoulder and saw that the two women from before were now joined by a third. A man with a hook for a left hand. Deep down inside she knew who all of them were. She could call out their names and their history. She frowned as she turned back to her older brother. He was still passed out and didn't look too well on top of that.

She look to the floor only to look up quickly when she heard something coming from Coal. "Coal?!" she kept her voice down, but couldn't hold back her excitement.

The boy reached a hand to his head and rubbed the side of his face a bit. "Where are we?" he asked in a weak voice.

"Shhh..." Edith told him. "You passed out when we got here." She told him.

Coal stirred in his bed as she tried to push himself up into a sitting position. His eyes wandered the room to finally land on Edith. Edith smiled when she saw his shocking blue eyes. It would probably be the only real difference between the two when it came to looks. Edith had honey brown eyes, while Coal had bright blue ones.

Coal gave Edith a soft smile only for his eyes to widen at the sight of Emma, Killian and Regina. "What happen?" He asked. Desperation to know tickled his words.

Edith shifted her eyes away from Coal.

"Edith?" Coal asked. A bit of demand trailed to the girl's ears. "I told you we can't be seen." He whispered.

Edith slowly looked back to Coal, "It couldn't be helped." She muttered. "When we got here, a bright light came at us fast and then the next thing I remember was you on the ground and..."

"And?" Coal blinked.

"They were there in seconds." She frowned deeply.

Coal looked from Edith to the window. It looked like the three were in a deep conversation at this point. He turned back to Edith with a now worried look on his face. "What about...?" He dared not to say the name.

Edith knew exactly who he was talking about. She shrugged again. "Gone. The monster with the lights ran right into,"

"Who?" A strict voice came from the door.

Both looked up to find Regina standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and her shoulder leaning on the door frame. "Who was it?" She asked again when both Edith and Coal stayed quiet.

Edith and Coal looked to one another and only Coal dared to look back to Regina. "We don't know." He told her.

Regina blinked at his words before stepping into the room. She was followed by Emma and soon Killian in toe. "Is that so?" Regina asked as she stood at the foot of the bed.

Coal nodded. He looked from Regina to Emma who stood closer to Edith. Edith still kept her gaze away from everyone besides Coal. Coal on the other hand made sure to meet the eyes of all three.

"You're lying." Emma stated. After all these years Emma still had her secret, well not so secret now, powers. She could tell when someone was lying and when someone was telling the truth. And her alarms were buzzing in her ears. "You know exactly who the other person is, don't you?" She narrowed her eyes at Coal.

Coal narrowed his eyes back. "They're gone so it doesn't matter." Coal stated.

Once more her ears were burning, "That's a lie too." Emma's voice was starting to get very solid. It was late and she wasn't up for playing games.

"Those marks on your arms..." Regina stepped in. "Where did you get them?" She asked.

Coal glanced to his well exposed arms before giving Regina a very serious look. He failed to release any words out as he too now went quiet.

The room fell silent as tensions grew.

"My advice is to just answer the questions." Killian stepped in. "I'm not sure if you know who they are,"

"We know who you are..." Coal interrupted as she looked to all three of them. "We know exactly who all of you are." He added.

Killian took a step closer to Coal's bed. "Then you know not better than to play games." He gave Coal a stern warning.

Killian locked eyes with Coal as Coal locked his own eyes back with the one handed pirate.

"Look we just want answers." Emma caved. "Can you provide those answers?" She asked in a more gentle tone of voice. Still keeping a a serious tone to her voice to show that this situation was indeed serious.

Coal looked to Emma and shook his head. "We thank you for the help." He told her. "But I'm sure we can handle it from here." He added.

Emma sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah well, from the looks of it you can't." She pointed out. "I'm pretty sure both of you are underage and as sheriff... I'll need to contact your parents." She told them. She crossed her arms over her chest and wanted to tap her foot, but refused.

Coal smirked at this and lightly shook his head. "We don't have any parents." He told her.

Emma took in a sharp breath as her lie detector shot through the roof. "Fine." She raised her hands, "Until you agree to cooperate I will have to place both of you under my care." she told them.

Coal laughed, "You can't arrest us. We didn't do anything." he watched her every move as he waited to see what she would do next.

"No one's arresting anyone." Regina stated. "She's stating that she is keeping you under her watch." Regina smirked. "Isn't that right Emma? Regina kept her eyes locked onto Coal. Her smirk grew when she saw the angered look in his eyes from her words.

Emma nodded. "Until we can find or contact your parents, I can't let either of you out of my sights. You both are minors, so we will need to find some kind of parent or guardian before releasing you from my custody." Emma shrugged.

Coal looked from Emma back to Regina. Regina could tell Coal had nothing ready for something like this. She could read his eyes like an open book. Coal looked away from Regina when he noticed Edith look up at him. Her eyes and face screamed worry. What were they going to do now?

 **Read, review, comment... (^_^)**


	3. Too Careful

**Thank you for the review, Ragsweas! But sadly I can only ask that you keep reading. (^_^)**

 **I was going to wait a few days to post up this chapter, but the more reviews I get the more excited I am to continue the story.**

 **So this chapter is for you Ragsweas and to those lurkers in the dark. lol**

It had been a few days since the two mystery teens showed up to Storybrooke. The doctors kept Coal under their watch as he regained his strength. But they were not the only ones watching. Emma kept an eye on them as well... Well as best as she could. Good thing others offered to help.

David sat outside the room during his watch. It wasn't the first time he had taken a watch over the new comers. He had already watched over them two or three times by now. But during the first few times he tried to talk to them, guess how that went. Since his last watch David found it easier to just watch the two from afar. The girl Edith would always become very quiet and the boy, Coal would have strong yet harsh words ready for any conversation.

"Still here?" A voice asked. David turned around to find his one true love.

Mary Margret stood there with a bright smile as she knew David had been working late.

"Yeah." David smiled back. He looked back to the window to see the two gathering their things. It was almost time for them to be released from the hospital, which meant Emma would be there shortly.

David looked back the Mary Margret, "Any word from our daughter?" he asked.

Mary Margret shook her head as she looked to her phone. "But!" She exclaimed with a twist of her body, "I brought breakfast." She held such joy in her words as she walked over to the bench and took a seat. She pulled her bag in front of her and started to dig into it. Charming took a seat next to her but also looked to his own phone. "She'll be here." Snow touched his arm with a gentle hand. "When has Emma ever not kept her word?" She asked.

David nodded, "I know... It's just that..." David shook his head. Ever since they got more information on the situation, they were also running around town... Searching for the other person that showed up with the two teens. A mystery figure that just turned into mist and disappeared. After the final chapter they all thought that would be the end to them fighting. A time of peace that should be well deserved. But alas, their time of peace had come to an end it seemed.

"Maybe we're just over thinking this?" David questioned. "What if they are just travelers from the Enchanted Forest, or maybe." David let his words trail off, as did his thoughts.

Mary Margret frowned a little at this. She too had the same thoughts. She expected everyone to. "Maybe... It's nothing." She chirped. She was indeed hopeful. She watched as David turned to her with a concerned yet relaxed look on his face. He wanted to believe her and hoped that it was nothing. But something inside of him told him to be careful. To not underestimate the situation. How could you blame him? After all they had been through, one would expect that their story would somehow continue.

Meanwhile...

Emma rushed about her house searching in as many different places that she could think of. "Where are they?" she questioned herself as she looked through the couch.

"You mean these?" Killian asked as he stood by the door with Emma's keys.

"Yes." Emma rushed over and took the keys. She reached for her jacket only for Killian to stop her. "Are you sure you want to bring them here?" Killian asked.

Emma paused as she looked to Killian, "Well where else can I put them? I can't exactly throw them in jail... Or even in foster care." Her voice turned into a dull tone at the end on her words. She looked to Killian who was now not wanting to meet her eyes. She in turn tried to meet them. "What else can I do? We have no idea where they come from, no clue as to who their parents are."

Killian nodded as he finally meet her gaze. He motioned to their house. "We don't exactly have the space." He stated. Even with their new home, they were limited on rooms. Emma looked to the house slowly as she thought about this already. She shrugged as she motioned towards the couch. "I've talked it over with my mom and dad and they don't have any room either." She frowned.

Killian understood where she was coming from and frankly he was ok with her decision, but something about the two just rubbed him the wrong way. And inviting that strange feeling into their home felt like they were inviting in some kind of darkness. Something powerful... Something they had yet to fight. His gut was screaming at him to not let these kids into their home.

"Look, I'm late, but when i get back we can sit down and see what else we can do. In the meantime, we have no where else to put them." She told him.

Killian nodded and gave Emma a kiss before she left.

As she left she couldn't help but think over as to what Killian was really saying. Inviting two strangers into their home was eating at her too. Even with Henry around, she didn't like the idea, but felt like she didn't have any other choice.

When she arrived at the hospital she headed up to the room only to stop at the front desk. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she walked over to Henry. Henry turned and smiled brightly at his mom. "You should be in school." she looked around and was quick to spot Regina. Her shoulders dropped when Regina gave Emma a warm smile. "Why is Henry not in school?" Emma asked. She thought her and Regina were on the same page by now, but apparently not.

Regina smiled as she placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "I needed a little help this morning." She told Emma.

"Help with what?" Emma asked.

Henry held up shopping bags.

"You took Henry out of school to go shopping?" Emma asked.

Regina shook her head, "No." She stated flatly. "I picked him up before he got on the bus."

Emma placed her face in her hands as she tried to wrap her mind around this. She removed her hands and brushed her hair from her face, "So if you went shopping, then why are you here?"

"Mom said that she needed help with picking out clothes for the new comers." Henry tried to explain.

"The town is already buzzing about them." Regina started. "And with what they were wearing when they got here,"

"They'll stick out like sore thumbs." Emma finished her sentence.

"Exactly." Regina reached down and picked up a few more bags that were waiting by her feet. "The last thing we need is for them to stand out." Regina stated as she motioned for Henry to follow her.

As Regina headed off Henry watched his birth mother try to wrap her mind around this. They had been through many adventures together. All in which they over came and saved the day. He could see his family stressing out over something so small and placed a hand on Emma's shoulder. "It'll be fine." He reassured her.

Emma looked to Henry and forced a light smile. "I hope you're right kid." She watched as Henry headed off to catch up with Regina. She took a moment and a breath before following them.

"There you are." David got up from his seat quickly as he saw the three approach the room.

Emma sighed, "Yeah, sorry I'm late I couldn't find my keys." She honestly stated.

David looked to Regina and Henry and then to the bags. "What's all this?" he asked.

Regina lifted up one of the bags, "Gifts." She smiled before walking past them and right into the room. All eyes watched her as she went in.

They watched as she walked right in, fearless as to how the teens would react. The girl Edith had her eyes glued to Regina while the boy Coal glanced over his shoulder out the window, back at the others.

Regina placed the bags onto the foot of the bed and started to speak. Coal's attention snapped back to Regina at this point. No one in the hallway could hear what they were saying, but watched as Edith took a step closer to Regina and the bags. She looked inside and reached in pulling out all kinds of clothing. Coal watched his sister and Regina from where he stood, not making a move towards Regina or the bags.

Emma twisted her lips a bit as she thought. She then suddenly reached out and took the remaining bags from Henry. "Stay here." she told them as she walked into the room. She almost froze when the room looked to her as she entered. Regina was all smiles while Edith held no expression and Coal... Well he looked a bit angered for some reason.

Emma forced a smile as she placed the bags next to the others.

Edith looked over at the new bags and cautiously looked into them. "They won't bite." Regina moved to the bags and started to pull out clothes.

Emma took a step back letting Edith step closer to the clothes. Her eyes drifted over to Coal who seemed to be giving her a death stare.

"This is cute." Edith smiled as she picked up a top. "It's so different." She added as she turned to Coal.

Regina laughed a little, "It's upside down." She told her.

Edith blinked as she looked to the shirt and turned it right side up. She gasped at it, "I love it even more." She placed it to her chest and turned to show Coal.

Coal looked from Edith to Regina, "What's wrong with what we have on?" He asked.

Regina's smile slowly slipped away as she locked eyes with Coal. "I'm not sure if you notice, but people dress differently around here." She told him. "Better to fit in, then to stick out." She told him.

Coal clenched his jaw as he thought about her words.

"Maaaayyybbbbeeee... this one?" Edith picked up another shirt and turned quickly to show Coal. Regina and Emma could tell the girl was trying to side with Regina and the new clothes. Or maybe she was trying to keep her brother from getting mad. Either way it worked.

"The first one looked better." He stated to Edith. Edith smiled brightly as she turned back to the clothes.

His eyes shifted back to Regina. Emma noticed the tension between the two. Like two villains trying to stare down the other.

"So you'll be staying at my place, for now." Emma placed her hands on the back part of her hips.

"Don't be silly." Regina quickly added.

Emma looked to Regina confused, "I'm sorry what?"

Regina looked to Emma and motioned to Edith and Coal, "I've seen your home, and you don't have the room." She sounded as if Emma knew this. Well, Emma did know this, but didn't know where Regina was going with it.

"They'll stay at my place." Regina smiled as Edith opened a box and found a pair of shoes, but she failed to see the excitement that most girls saw in shoes and looked back to Regina. "Stay at your place?" She asked.

Regina smiled to Edith, "Why not?" she asked as if it were even a question to be answering.

"Regina." Emma started.

"Look." Regina stopped Emma, "I've seen your home many of times. It's cute and cozy, but too small to have more than one guest." Regina looked back to Coal and Edith. "I, on the other hand, have a big house." She felt her voice pitch at the end of her words. She slowly turned to Emma and gave her a serious look, "I'm sure I can handle them." She had that look in her eyes. The one where she knew Regina had something up her sleeves.

Emma turned to Edith and Coal, "Why don't you both get changed." She told them. "Regina... a word?" Emma left the room quickly.

Regina looked to Coal and then to Edith, 'Red seems more your color." She told the young girl as she handed her a shirt before following Emma into the hall way.

"What was that?" Emma demanded.

Regina felt taken back by Emma's tone of voice. "The truth." She told her.

Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "My house is not small." She told her.

"No, it's not small." Regina confirmed. "But Henry lives there." Regina's voice got serious as did the look in her eyes. "We both know something is up with those two. Something that we have no idea about." Regina told her. "Not only do I have enough room, but I also have magic." She told her.

Emma took in a deep breath before releasing it, "And from what you told me, you said that they have magic too." She motioned to the room.

Regina made sure her eyes locked with Emma's before speaking again, "True, but think of it this way. If they try to run, my magic will stop them, if not it will let me know if they try to leave... Or if anyone tries to contact them." She was referring to the person that disappeared when the two arrived. "We haven't found any clues as to who or what arrived with them."

Emma shook her head lightly, "And they wont talk about it either." She glanced back to the room and then back to her parents and Henry. The three were too far away to hear what her and Regina were talking about, but they could tell it was something serious. "What if that other person comes and attacks these kids... You, nor I want to see Henry get caught in the middle of it." Regina waited for Emma to look back at her.

Regina was right. If that third person was bad news... "Fine." Emma stated as she looked back to Regina.

"Well then... Lets just hope it's not as serious as we think it is." Regina looked back to the room and saw Edith step out from the bathroom completely changed into her new clothes. She looked happy as she beckoned for her brother's approval. She spun and around and motioned to her shirt and jeans. She even pulled at her shoes.

Coal looked far from amused and shook his head at her.

After some time Emma, Regina and David waited for the Edith and Coal to follow them out of the room. Mary Margret took Henry back home seeing as he missed most of the day of school. Regina was going to take Edith and Coal back to her place while David and Emma would escort her and the two teens there. They weren't surprised when they noticed the time. It was almost two in the afternoon. While Edith was quick to change, Coal on the other hand took his sweet time.

Finally they were leaving the hospital and heading towards Regina's.

Edith and Coal road in the back seat of Regina's car while David drove his truck and Emma road with him.

"Maybe we're over thinking it." David broke the silence in the car.

Emma looked over quickly. "How so?" She asked. Curious as to what he was thinking.

"After all we've been through, we seem jumpy." David kept his eyes on the road and Regina's car as Emma turned her attention to the world around them. "We defeated everything the world has thrown our way. Finally we get some kind of peace and we jump thinking that it's some kind of dark force trying to destroy us... Or kill us..." David sighed. "They're just kids. They could just be scared and alone... In a world they have no knowledge of." David tried to place himself in Coal and Edith's position. "If I were them... I would act the same way." he turned to Emma.

Emma huffed as she looked back to David. "We can't be too careful." She told him.

"Can we?" David asked in a serious tone.

Emma gave her father half a smile, "Maybe... LOOK OUT!" Emma pinned herself to her seat as a figure appeared in the middle of the road in front of Regina's car. Regina swerved and so did David. Both vehicles came to a screeching halt.

"You ok?" David asked quickly turning to Emma.

Emma caught her breath and nodded, "I think so." She told him.

They both looked to the figure still standing in the middle of the road.

By the body frame and the clothing, you could tell it was a woman. She had long black wavy hair that reached half way down her back, her clothing was all black and had light green patterns and stitching upon it. Her long black cloak flowed behind her as the hood was draw over her head. But what made Emma and David worry more... Was that she was wearing a white mask over her face. You could only see her bright green eyes as she turned her head towards Regina's car.

Regina got out of her car and narrowed her eyes at the figure.

Both Emma and David jumped out of David's truck. "Regina wait!" Emma called out.

Emma rushed to Regina's side as she started to make her way to the figure.

David went to join them but saw the back door to Regina's car start to open. He shut it quickly before it opened half way. He looked through the window at Coal and Edith. "Stay in the car." He told them as he took his stance right there.

Regina stopped when she was ten to fifteen feet away from the figure. "Who are you?" She demanded.

The figure tilted her head and twisted her hands out in front of her.

Emma felt her heart race in her chest as she took her stand next to Regina. "Looks like we really didn't worry for nothing." Emma stated.

 **Read, review, comment. (^_^)**

 **I love reading reviews just as much as I love writing. Sorry if there are any grammar errors. I have a small problem while writing. I start getting into just telling the story that grammar flies out the window. lol**

 **As for where the story is at, who is this masked mystery figure? What does Coal and Edith have to do with anything? Why can't there just be peace and quiet?**

 **Find out in the chapters to come. (^_^)**


	4. The Truth

As the car came to a screeching halt Coal reached out his arm across Edith, holding her back into her seat. It happen so quickly that when Regina looked back and asked them, "You both ok?" They didn't realize why they had stopped in the first place.

Edith pushed herself back into her seat when her eyes found the figure standing in the road. "Coal!" She pointed.

Coal spotted the woman and locked onto her. He moved for the door when Regina opened her own. "Stay here." She told them as she got out of the car, shutting her door behind her.

Coal watched as Regina made her way towards the hooded woman.

"What do we do?" Edith asked as she looked from the woman to Coal.

Coal gritted his teeth as he reached for the door. "We fight... Like always.." Coal went to open the door only to look at it as he couldn't find the handle. this world was new... and yet cruel he thought. He found the handle and opened the door only for it to shut quickly on him. David stood outside of the car and spoke to them, telling them to stay in the car.

Coal narrowed his eyes at this and let a deep growl tickle his throat.

"They have no idea what they're up against." Edith stated as she watched.

Coal looked back to Emma and Regina.

"We need to do something." Edith added.

Coal felt his heart start to pound in his chest as he felt hopeless for the moment.

"I won't repeat myself." Regina didn't want to have to really. But the woman was all so quiet.

She twisted a hand up and pointed towards the car where Edith and Coal were.

"You want them?" Regina asked. Her tone of voice was warning and serious. "You'll have to go through us first." She had a hint of cockiness now.

Emma leaned over to Regina, "We have no idea who this is and what they can do... I think being pushy is not the answer." She said in a hushed tone. Emma was never one to run form a fight, but they were going to be shooting arrows in the dark. The only clues they had in their pockets were this strange woman, Coal, Edith and that they were from somewhere else. So running around pushing buttons was not on Emma's list.

Regina narrowed her eyes at the woman before her. She watched as the woman twisted her head back towards Regina and Emma. Her hands came closer together as a black and green mist formed between her hands.

Emma took a step back as she got into a defensive stance. "Looks like pushy got us into a fight." She kept her eyes on the woman but her words were for Regina.

Regina followed Emma's lead as she raised a hand out in front of her. Ready to counter anything that came their way.

Coal couldn't just sit there as told. With each second he could feel his heart race faster and faster. They had no idea who they were about to fight. How strong she was... He reached for the door and opened it as fast as he could. The door flung open and hit David hard as Coal rushed out of the car.

He had to take a second to understand what just happened but caught a hold of the moment just in time. "Run!" Coal cried out as David wrapped his arms around Coal, holding him back.

Regina and Emma looked back to David and Coal out of instinct. They turned their attention back to the woman seeing that the woman now formed a green sphere between her hands. She stepped forward and threw the sphere into motion. It came at a great speed rushing towards both Emma and Regina. The closer it got the bigger it got.

Emma and Regina dove out of the way as the air became silent and the world began to slow down in the moment.

The sphere grew bigger and bigger as it passed them, so big that it started to touch the ground. The ground below the sphere crushed and crumbled. David dove out of the way still holding on tightly to Coal as he did so. The sphere clipped the side of Regina's car, upon touching the sphere Regina's car was shoved to the side of the road. The slightest touch from the sphere showed great destruction.

It headed for David's truck. The sphere was now twice the size of a van as it ran along side of the truck. The truck was forced even harder to the opposite side of the road. It grew taller than the trees before the sphere faded into a green and black mist. Leaving behind a crushed road and very confused looks on Emma, Regina and David's face.

"What the hell was that?" Emma turned back to the figure to find the woman standing tall. If it weren't for the mask, you could probably see her smirking at the out come of her magic.

Coal shoved David off of him as he got to his feet quickly. "Edith?" He rushed to the car. He stopped at the door when he noticed Edith wasn't in the car.

"Right here!" Edith chirped as she popped up on the other side of the car. She gave Coal a smile at the fact that she wasn't in the car when the sphere touched it. "Dove out just in time." Edith rolled her eyes.

Coal huffed as he watched her cheerful attitude engulf the situation for a moment. Knowing that she was safe he looked to the masked woman.

Regina got to her feet shocked, or all things. She had never seen something like that before. In all her years of using magic and studying it... This was new.

David rushed over to Coal and was indeed happy to see that everyone was alright. But that still didn't answer any questions or help with the situation.

Coal took a step towards Emma and Regina when David grabbed his arm. Coal snapped his eyes towards David. "Let go." Coal warned.

David shook his head, "We can help protect you." He told him.

Coal squinted his eyes at David, "Trust me when i say you and the others are the ones that need protecting."

David frowned his brows at Coal, shocked at what he was saying. He didn't even notice when Coal slipped his arm out from David's grip. David watched as Coal started to walk away from him heading towards the woman.

Coal knew how to handle this but ending it... that was a whole other story.

He opened his hand at his side as black sparks started to dance around his fingers.

A sharp laugh came from the masked woman. She bowed to Coal as he continued to head towards her, not changing his stride. "Shall we dance your highness?" The woman finally spoke for once. Her words held a bitter taste to them and a large breath of hate.

Emma got to her feet as Regina was already on hers. "Regina?" Emma questioned.

"Yeah?" Regina was still shocked by the first attack.

"What now?" Emma gulped. She was hoping Regina had something in mind. After one attack... What else could this woman do? Both watched as the woman laughed and then bowed.

"Highness?" Regina asked. No one had called her that in years. Her life as queen had come to an end when she changed her ways. She wondered if the woman was referring to her other self that lived in the Enchanted forest. Regina was about to say something when sparks of black lightning shot past her and Emma. Both ducked to the side, surprising them and taking them off guard.

When Regina looked up, she noticed the figure was gone. Coal stood in the center of the road but his eyes and ears were focused to the world around them.

"Is she gone?" Emma looked around them.

Coal slowly raised a finger to his lips in hopes everyone would stay quiet.

As the silence set in, they all noticed not a single sound could be heard. No birds chirping, not leaves rustling, nothing.

Without warning Coal spun around and threw another black bolt in the direction of David's truck. The woman was there for a second, but quickly vanished just in time before Coal's attack could hit her.

David's truck on the other hand took a large hit from the black lightning. Flipping it over with a loud crash. Before anyone could react Coal sent off another black bolt in the opposite direction. Once more the woman appeared and then vanished out of sight. This time a tree took the hit and with a sharp crack it feel over into the woods.

Regina narrowed her eyes as the battle seemed to go no where. Her eyes set on Coal, she watched as he was able to pin point where the masked woman would appear and fire another attack. And just like the other times, she would disappear right before the attack could reach her.

"Emma." Regina called out to the savior.

Emma looked to Regina and caught her eyes with her. Without even saying a word, Emma knew what Regina had in mind. She nodded and brought her hands together, but still keeping them about five inches apart. Regina did the same.

Energy formed between their hands as they both watched Coal throw another black bolt down the street, still missing his target.

Regina turned to Emma and Emma turned to face Regina. Without even wondering if they were right, both released their magic at one another. As Regina's black magic left her hands, Emma's white magic did the same. Coming together in the empty space between them.

Just as both magic streams were about to collide, the masked figure popped right between them. The figure cried out as their magic caught her off guard. Her body couldn't move, and just as she got caught in the magic, Coal's black bolt shot straight at her heart.

The impact of the three types of magic reflected in a wave shooting back at them. The wave knocked Regina, Emma and Coal to the ground hard. Leaving smoke to cover the area.

Regina coughed as she slowly got to her feet. Her ears were ringing and she could still feel the blow she got from the recoil.

Emma felt a hand pull her to her feet, followed by the face of her father. "You ok?" he asked. He sounded more than worried.

Emma dusted her self off and tried to clear her airwaves. "Yeah." She coughed.

She looked around and saw that the smoke was clearing. Regina on the other side of the road, pulling herself to her feet as she too was feeling the after shock. "What or who the hell was that?" Emma asked.

David shook his head as he glanced back to see Edith pulling Coal to his feet.

All eyes looked to the empty spot in the road where the masked woman was last seen. As the smoke cleared only a black cloak and a white mask were left behind.

"So that's the end of that." Regina walked over to the mask and cloak. She picked up the mask and flipped it over to find nothing on the inside.

"That was only a shadow clone." Coal stated as he looked to the mask.

"A shadow clone? Ha!" Regina's one laugh sounded more then mocking. "What next?" She asked as she dropped the mask. You could hear the slight anger building up in her voice. "You actually gonna tell us who that was?" She asked. "Or do we just have to fight more of those to find out?" She stated slowly as she walked right up to him. Her face inches away from his.

Coal leaned back as caught his breath. His eyes narrowed back to her now cold gaze.

Emma and David rushed over, "Maybe we should just take a minute." Emma tried to be the voice of reason.

"A minute?" Regina turned to Emma. She sounded appalled over the suggestion. "A minute in another battle like that? Someone could have gotten killed." She slowly stated as she looked back to Coal.

"Her name's Morgana." Edith spoke up.

She stepped back when Coal quickly shot her a look. she knew he would be mad over the fact, but she had to say something.

"Morgana?" Regina crossed her arms over her chest. She was not amused by the name.

"Like from King Arthur?" Emma asked. "With Merlin." She motioned.

"Morgana is a myth." Regina pointed out rather quickly.

Emma wasn't sure how to respond, "Between what just happened and getting a name... I'm not sure myth can be the answer." Emma was mocking a bit over fact with... Well fiction.

"Morgana is a Myth. Trust me." Regina hated repeating herself.

David looked around at the damage. "Myth or not, it seems to me that we just have a new problem on our hands." He stated. "All of this happened in seconds." he pointed out. "Not to mention,"

"The magic." Regina cut him off as she looked to Coal.

Coal caught her gaze but refused to say anything. "I think it's about time we heard the truth." Regina snarled at Coal.

Coal narrowed his eyes at Regina as they continued to stare one another down.


	5. Theory

**YAY! for reviews. Another shout out to Ragsweas! Thank you so much for following and having fun with this FF. I know you are eager to find out who Coal and Edith are. I promise it will all come together soon.**

"Thanks for the ride Grandma." Henry stated quickly as he got out of the car to head inside his home. He knew Killian wouldn't be home due to all the ruckus running around town. While Emma and David were busy, someone had to step in.

He opened the door and took off his coat, hanging it on the coat rack nearby. He looked around the cozy quiet homes and smiled a bit to himself. He loved his family and his friends, but there were times where he would just want a moment to himself. He looked to his phone and scrolled over the screen till he found his music.

"Time for a little me time." He stated to himself before he hit play.

Henry slid across the kitchen floor in his socks and stopped at the fridge. His head bouncing and his body moving as he sung along with the song. He opened the fridge and started to pull out anything and everything that caught his eyes. With his arms full he spun around and shut the door with his foot and a pose. Heading to the counter he placed all the items out before taking another slid to the pantry. With each new item he gathered into his hands, another note of the song was filled to his best efforts.

A few minutes later and a few more songs Henry looked at his masterpiece. A sandwich that could only defeat all other sandwiches in and epic sandwich battle for glory. His eyes light up as his stomach desperately couldn't wait.

"One of the glories of being a teen." He told himself.

Henry took his sandwich, a soda, a bag of chips and his school bag, heading up the stairs to his room. He entered into the cold dark room and fished for the light switch with his elbow... Seeing as that was the only thing that wasn't carrying anything.

The light came on after a few tries and Henry took in a deep breath. He placed his bag down by the door and turned to his desk.

His eyes show wide and everything in his hands fell to the floor. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Another book...

Henry rushed over to it ignoring the mess on the floor and reached out taking the large book into his hands. This was not the same book like before. The last book had a red or brownish color to the cover, while this one held a solid flat black look. And the words "Once Upon A Time" were written in red... It almost looked like it was written in blood.

Henry looked from the book and then around his room. Any clues as to how it got there were beyond him. He could only assume that it was magic. He looked back to his desk and noticed something else was new... A new pen... This pen was black with a thin design of silver-ish white gracing the top of it. He let out a well held in breath as he reached out and picked up the pen.

A new book and a new pen? His mind was all over the place as he placed the book on the desk and quickly opened to the first page. He was a bit shocked to already find pictures and writing inside the book. He gulped as he flipped through the pages to find that half of the book was already written in. He turned back to the first page and began to read.

"Once Upon A Time... There was a King."

Henry looked to the picture on the other page and squinted his eyes. "That looks like... Coal." He wasn't sure as to what was going on... But with a new book and a new pen. "The story's not one..." Henry whispered to himself.

...

Coal stood in his room which looked very much like Regina's old chambers from when she ruled over the Enchanted Forest. There were a few changes to the room, but not by much. His eyes looked himself over as he stood in front of an old large mirror. His hands fiddled with the collar of his coat as he struggled with the fabric. His clothing was much more elaborated then what he had on when he first came to Storybrooke.

He let out a hiss of breath as he gave up on the cloth. A flick of his wrist and the fabric did as it was told and unbuttoned three buttons on the collar. Giving Coal more room to breath it seemed.

His coat was slimming, black and held a red trim. The coat buttoned down to his waist but the cloth stopped just at his knees. His boots laced and belted up over the bottom of his pants and they too stopped at his knees. It looked like he had brushed his hair, but his hair had a different plan than to look straight and neat. His eyes dulled at the sight of himself in the mirror. This was about as good as it was going to get for the day.

He let out a breath turning away from his reflection. He looked to the large black wooden desk placed by the large window. The desk was overflowing with books and papers. Half of the books were even stacked up along the sides of the desk on the floor. Coal made his way over to the small city of papers and looked it over. He spotted a small platter holding fruits and some small well decorated foods.

His eyes latched onto a red apple placed in a bowl with other various fruits. He reached out and took hold to the red fruit, inspecting it as if it were poison until he saw otherwise.

"You're up early?" Edith stated as she walked into the room.

Coal looked up from the apple to his sister, "There's a lot of work to be done today." He stated with a sigh. He took a bite into the apple as she walked over to the desk. She too had to look over the papers and books. "Ooo!" She exclaimed as she reached out and picked up a green apple. and little breakfast pastries.

"How was your ride?" Coal asked casually.

Edith shrugged as she took a large bite from the green apple. "It was alright." She stated with a mouth full of food. Before she could even finish her first bite, Edith took another large bite from the apple. "Any luck finding that heart thingy?" she asked.

If Edith was speaking to anyone else, they would have no idea what the girl was saying. But Coal was too familiar with Edith's eating and talking habits. It was like a language that he only knew and understood. This still didn't help with the answer he would give her. "No." He shook his head lightly. "As far as I can tell... the books not here." He added. He placed his half eaten apple on the tray and picked up on of the books and moved around some papers. "If I only knew where she put it..." Coal looked over the spell book in his hand and then to the paper that held notes upon notes of his search in finding a certain spell.

Edith frowned and swallowed, "So what do we do?" She asked sounding a bit worried.

Coal wished he had some kind of answer for his sister, but what they were up against... Yeah he could fend off Morgana, but for how long? There will come a day when she would get the best of him. He glanced to his sister. Her and the people in his kingdom... Along with even those that did not fall under his rule would suffer if he did not find a solution soon.

Coal looked back to his desk. He felt his heart sink as he wished for a miracle. His eyes fought against the cluster when something caught his eye. He reached out and picked up a small stack of papers clipped together. He looked the spell over and even flipped to the other pages. He felt his world brighten a little as an idea popped into his head. "What if?" He questioned himself.

"What if... What?" Edith asked as she moved over to Coal and started to read over his shoulder. She grumbled a bit knowing that she could never understand magic.

"What if..." Coal looked to Edith. He held up his hands as he hoped she would follow what he was about to say. "We went back in time?" He waited giving his sister a questionable look.

Edith blinked as she was taken back by the idea. "Like travel through time?" She asked.

Coal nodded.

"But I thought that was impossible." Edith looked to Coal with a confused look. "Even mom said that time travel couldn't be done." She tried to think on the matter even more.

Coal raised a finger, "I have this theory." He stated.

Edith rolled her eyes and let her shoulders drop. "Please not again." She whined. "Last time wasn't exactly... Helpful." Edith frowned.

Coal rose a brow to her.

"I still have the fear of eating chickens." she stated firmly.

Coal rolled his hands in a circle, "Well, that wasn't really my best work." He stated recalling the spell he had last created. "But this one is different." He tried to reassure her. "This time..."

"This time you are playing with time." She told him. She walked over and took the papers from him. "What if Morgana does something while were are gone... If this actually works." She looked to the papers and then to Coal.

Coal raised both his pointer fingers, "See, here's where it gets a little tricky."

Edith let her hands drop to her sides as she rolled her eyes. She looked to Coal just so he knew that she was still listening.

"I... kind of need Morgana's magic... To make it work." He watched Edith's reaction carefully.

Edith's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide, "How on earth are you going to do that?!" She exclaimed.

Coal titled his head and hands from side to side as he thought hard on the matter. "Well... I only really need her to use a lot of magic. Magic that I can manipulate." He nodded. when Coal looked back to Edith she had a dull and dumb expression on her face.

"Seriously." Her words matched her look.

Coal sighed feeling as if he already failed in some way. "Will you just trust me on this?" He asked.

Edith wasn't sure what to say, think or do. "Fine!" She exhausted. "But if there are chickens involved." She pointed at him giving him an angered look. "I'm out." she whipped her hand across the air.

Coal held back a small laugh. "Chicken free, guaranteed." He stated.

Edith gave him a warning look as she placed the papers on the desk. "I'm watching you." She played with a serious tone. She motioned to her eyes to Coal with two fingers as she slowly backed out of the room. She turned on her heels and left the room. "I'm watching you!" She called back as she was now in the hallway.

Coal shook his head and laughed a bit. He went over to his desk and picked up his notes for the time travel spell. If he was right... this could work. And if this worked... they could get what they needed and they would once and for all, stop Morgana.

...

Henry looked up from the book, shocked at what he had just read. He closed the book and took it up into his arms as he left his room in a hurry. He needed to find his moms as fast as he could.

 **Read, Review, Comment.**

 **I'm having a lot of fun slowly revealing this story. I plan on doing more with all of the characters from OUAT. The story feels incomplete if I don't. A lot more will be revealed in the next few chapters.**


	6. Technology is NOT Magic!

Regina flicked her wrist and her front door opened. She was in no mood to not use magic at this point. Following her was Emma, Coal, Edith and then Charming. She dropped her bag on small table that was set by the door. After everyone was inside, David shut the door behind them. Double checking outside, in case a certain guest arrived or followed them.

Regina crossed her arms over her chest as a very serious look was plastered on her face. "No more games." She stated harshly. "This time around you Will answer all of our questions." she looked to both Coal and Edith. Edith slowly looked to Coal. Coal too held a stern look as he looked to Regina. If Edith was mistaken, she would have guessed that the two were about to have an all out magic battle.

"And no lying this time." Emma pointed out.

When it came to fear in ones eyes or looks, Regina won that contest over and over again. There were times where Emma wished she could be as fearful as Regina. But standing next to her now, Emma felt like a small mouse next to a large hungry lion.

"What do you ant to know?" Coal asked in a cold tone.

Regina's lips twisted at Coal's tone of voice. She took a few steps closer to him, "I'm not messing around." She stated in a hushed waringful whisper. "You will answer all of our questions and you will be honest." She kept her volume low but was loud enough for all to hear.

"Or what?" Coal asked in the same tone. "You'll send me to my room?" he smirked. "You're not my mother." He told her.

Edith at this point was looking anywhere but at Regina and Coal. She looked to her shoes now finding them very interesting.

"How about we sit down and have a calm discussion." David stepped between Regina and Coal.

Emma nodded to this idea, "I'll make some coffee." She stated heading for the kitchen. Watching Regina and Coal duke it out with words and warnings was indeed exhausting.

David motioned for everyone to head into the dinning area. He found it harder to get Regina and coal to move, but Edith seemed more than happy to step away from the daggers Coal and Regina were throwing.

Emma had to take a deep breath and then exhale deeply when she was finally alone in the kitchen. She took her minute as she just stood there at the coffee maker. But her minute was up very quickly. She opened up a cabinet and pulled out the filters, coffee grinds and started to set everything up. Things were not looking good for her and Storybrooke. The more she thought about what happened earlier, she wondered how they could defeat this... Morgana. They had come up against a lot of things, but something in her gut told her that this would be different. That This... was going to be harder than anything they had ever come up against.

Once the coffee started to brew she left the kitchen and headed into the dinning room where the others were. Coal and Edith sat next to one another on one side of the large table, while Regina sat directly across from them. David stood off to the side leaving the last chair for his daughter. Emma took the seat next to Regina and looked across the table. She sat across from Edith while Regina was directly across from Coal.

"Start talking." Regina crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair.

As all eyes feel to Edith and Coal, both lacked words to start.

"Why don't you tell us about this... Morgana?" Emma glanced to Regina before turning back to Edith and Coal. "Who is she and what does she want?" she asked in a more calmer tone of voice.

Edith looked to Coal as Coal merely glanced to Edith for a second.

"Morgana is a very powerful magic user." Coal finally spoke about the subject. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Morgana is a myth." Regina stated.

Coal shook his head. "Morgana's not a myth. She was..." He tried to think of the words to describe what he knew. "Asleep, but awake..." He glanced to Edith.

"From what we know, she was placed under a memory curse. She only got her memories back some four... Five?" She questioned when she looked to Coal.

"500." Coal nodded.

"500 years ago." Edith nodded.

Regina squinted her eyes at them. "And you know this how?" She asked.

Emma tilted her head as she listened to them. For the first time her lie detector wasn't going off. They were telling the truth... But they were talking as if they were there or alive during that time.

Edith twisted her fingers together as she spoke more on the subject. "The first time we meet her she claimed that she had forgotten who she was, but suddenly over night knew who she was. That her curse had been broken." Edith explained.

Regina wasn't buying anything at the table. "How old were you when you first meet her?" Regina asked.

"I was twelve and Edith was ten." He stated clearly.

"How old are you now?" Emma dared to ask. She felt that the answer was going to shock her...

"I'm...?" Coal looked to Edith and gave her a confused look. Edith shrugged at his look. "Like what, five... six?" he questioned her.

Edith shrugged. "I believe over 500 but not six." She shrugged.

Coal looked back to Regina, Emma and David. "Somewhere between 500 and 600." He nodded.

Regina forced a shocked look, "Really?" she asked.

Coal shook his head lightly, "It more so has to do with our father." He added.

"And who is that? Merlin?" Regina mocked.

Coal forced a smile at Regina, "Close... But not Merlin... Merlin's a joke compared to my father." he stated.

"So who is he?" Emma asked.

"..." Both Coal and Edith went silent to the question.

As the room feel silent David decided to get their conversation back on track. "So what else can you tell us about Morgana?"

"She's powerful." Coal was quick to answer the question.

"Well, we get that. But how did you two get involved with her?" He asked.

Coal let out a rough sigh as he looked to the table while he answered. "Where we come from... I'm the King." He stated. He looked up to both Regina and Emma. "Morgana started the fight and pushed to end our family and our kingdom. When she took our parents out of the picture... It left me and Edith to fight and defend the kingdom. I was crowned at the age of fourteen and since then... We have been fighting. Not just for us, or our people... But for the whole realm."

The strict look on Regina's face softened a bit as she leaned further back into her chair. She was trying to peace together as much as she could, but she was coming up short as to what realm Coal could be talking about. "And what Kingdom do you rule over?" She asked. Regina recalled Morgana saying 'your highness' and now she felt as if her words were towards Coal and not to her.

Coal looked to Regina and meet her eyes. "The Enchanted Forest." He stated.

The room once more became quiet. Regina, Emma and David looked to one another not sure what to make of this. "Emma?" Regina asked.

"Yeah?" Emma turned to Regina.

"I think we could all use that cup of coffee about now." She said as she kept her eyes on Coal.

Emma took this as a great chance to step away from the table. She got up and headed for the kitchen without saying a word. "I'll help you." David stated as he was quick to follow Emma.

Regina stayed at the table with both Coal and Edith. Edith watched as her brother and Regina for some reason would not break eye contact. One was bound to give in... Her money was on Coal.

Emma walked into the kitchen with David close behind her. "I'm not sure what they are talking about... But they're not lying." She told David in a hushed tone.

David blinked at the thought. "I'm lost for words just as much as anyone in this kind of situation." he told her.

Emma rushed her hands over her face and through her hair. "We still don't have all the information and this Morgana chick sounds..."

David let out a sigh, "Like a villain... And a pretty bad one at that."

"500 years?!" Emma exclaimed but tried to keep her voice down as best as possible.

David shook his head. "I don't know anyone that has ever lived that long." he stated. "Maybe two or 300 years... But not five or six..."

"They're just children." Emma motioned to the other room.

David placed his hands on her shoulders and nodded. "I know." He breathed. "As of right now, we should be focused on Morgana... After we get rid of her..."

"What next?" Emma asked. "Another villain, another dark evil that we have to defeat?" She looked worried and stressed.

David of all people knew and understood where she was coming from. They finally got a break and here they were about to step into another battle not knowing anything about this new evil. "Why don't you get the coffee and I'll give Mary Margret a call. Fill her in on what's going on and see if she might know of anything close to what these kids are saying." He told her.

Emma nodded to him and he nodded back.

David walked off pulling out his phone only to stop and turn back around. "Emma?"

David held up his phone to her showing a text from Mary Margret. An image stood out of a book. From what she could tell it was a book in Henry's hands. She frowned her brows when she saw the next text message. 'There's a second book.' followed by, 'Where are you?'

Emma looked up from the phone to David. "You have got to be kidding me..." Emma said slowly.

Both held worry in their eyes as Emma looked back to the dinning room. Regina, Edith and Coal shared a few words but she couldn't hear what they were saying. But the look on Regina's face said big news. Regina looked towards the kitchen with a concerned look in her eyes.

...

"Time travel?" Emma asked.

Regina, David, Mary Margret and Emma all stood in the kitchen around the island in the center. The book and pen that Henry found sat on the island counter. "I thought you said time travel was impossible." Emma looked to Regina.

Regina motioned towards the book, "It is." She assured them.

"Then how did they, travel through time?" Mary Margret asked while gesturing towards the living room where Edith, Coal and Henry were.

Coal and Edith were huddle next to Henry as he was showing them his cell phone.

Regina shrugged, "I'm not sure. I mean... From what I know, time travel is far beyond magic." She motioned to Mary Margret, "Rumple even said that time travel is impossible." She added to her defense.

Mary Margret thinned her lips and let her shoulders drop as this conversation wasn't really going anywhere.

David stepped forward and opened the book. He looked over what he could, mostly seeing stories about Coal and Edith along with the masked Morgana. "Battles beyond battles." He stated. He looked up from the book to Emma. "Any words from Killian yet?" he asked.

Emma looked to her phone and shook her head. "No. he said he would text me when he found Gold." She stated. She rubbed her forehead as she didn't know what to think at the moment. But she was a little happy, despite the situation, that no one else knew what to think either.

"Does it say who their parents are?" Regina asked as she walked over to the book and turned it to face her. David shook his head while placing a hand on the counter. "It mentions them... But not by name.. From what I saw it's very vague."

"So... you can send a message to another person... And that person can send a message back instantly?" Coal asked looking at Henry's phone.

Henry nodded with a smile. "Yup. You can also take pictures, videos, listen to music." He scrolled over the screen.

Edith's eyes went wide with shock. "It summons a musician?" she asked.

Henry frowned his brows and shook his head, "No, the music is in the phone." He told her.

"So you shrunk a musician?" Coal asked, "and then placed him inside this box?" Coal looked to Edith before looking back to Henry.

Henry wasn't sure how to explain this to them. Clearly they had no connection to this world before. "It's a download..." As he spoke he realized that he just confused them even more.

"So it's some form of magic?" Edith asked. She brightened up a little thinking that she could relate to this 'phone' thing.

"It's technology." Henry knew this would go no where until he was able to explain things better.

"Is that the name of your craft?" Coal asked as he tilted his head.

"It's not magic." He told them.

"but magic is the only way to explain it." Edith shrugged.

Henry looked from Edith to Coal and then back to Edith. "Yes, it is like magic... But not magic." He hoped that would help.

Coal sat back on the couch and folded his arms over his chest, "I think I'll just stick to sending ravens." He uttered.

"I know it's confusing and hard to understand. But once you get the hang of it... It's actually helpful." Henry smiled.

Edith patted her hands on her lap as she whistled out a breath. She let her eyes wander around the room, taking in all the decorations and details.

Henry felt bad a bit as he lost their attention with the phone. "There are a lot of cool things in this world." He tried to lighten the mood. "Like for instance, what do you guys do for fun?" He asked.

Coal shifted his eyes towards Edith as she sat up... She leaned forward trying to think of something that she did for fun. "I sometimes go riding." She half smiled.

"You go on patrol runs." Coal stated in a dull tone.

Edith shrugged knowing that riding was nice, but really she was on patrol when she did. Morgana had her ways of keeping the two busy and keeping fear in the people all over the realms.

"You guys don't do anything fun?" He asked a bit shocked. Edith shook her head and when Henry looked to coal he only got a dull look. "No games, no parties?" Henry felt lost in the conversation.

Edith frowned, "We use to have those..." She looked to her feet once again finding her shoes more interesting than what was going on around them.

Hours passed as Emma, Regina and the others tried to place more to the story. the most they got out of it was a few battles between Coal and Morgana along with the night they arrived in Storybrooke. It was now getting late and coffee could not keep their brains from wanting to sleep.

Regina stood at the front door with Emma and Henry. "You promise to call if anything happens." Emma asked.

Regina nodded, "You'll be the first to know." She assured them.

Emma wanted to stay, but sleep was calling out to her and so was her phone. "It's Killian." She looked to her phone. She quickly read the text and frowned. "He says that Gold went out of town and will be back sometime tomorrow." She looked to Regina and both let out a sigh.

"Well, looks like we shall continue this tomorrow." Regina folded her arms and rested her shoulder on the door frame.

Henry looked to both of his moms before walking over and hugging Regina. "We'll see you tomorrow." He told her giving her a kiss on the cheek. He took a step back and turned to Emma, "Come on. We should head home." He smiled to her. With all that he knew now, somehow Henry felt good. Even when everyone worried, he held a strong faith in his moms and family. "Good always triumphs over evil." He told them.

Emma placed a hand on Henry's head and patted down his hair a bit, "You're right." Emma smiled. Emma turned to Regina, "Call me..." She told her again as Henry started to lead the way to Mary Margret's car. He had to drag Emma with him as she still seemed worried about leaving Coal and Edith with Regina. She wasn't so worried about Regina not being able to handle the two teens... She was more worried about Morgana attacking them while everyone was elsewhere.

"If anything happens I'll call you." Regina smiled as she knew why Emma was being very particular about things. Regina already had protection spells all over the place set up for anything like this. Weather it was Morgana attacking them or Edith and Coal trying to run away... Her spells would stop them.

After waving goodbye, Regina shut and locked the door. She turned around to find Edith and Coal standing by the stairs waiting for her.

Regina glanced to the kitchen seeing the book sitting where she had left it. She looked back to Edith and Coal and gave them a small smile. "You both must be hungry."

"Starving." Edith stated.

"I could eat." Coal shrugged.

They both spoke at the same time, but Regina was able to pick out what they were saying. "Why don't you both go watch some TV while I make us some dinner." She watched as she got confused looks from both of them. Henry mentioned something about them not knowing much about the non magic world... But didn't think it was this bad. "I'll show you." She headed into the living room.

Both Coal and Edith followed her as she walked over to the flat screen TV. Edith walked right up next to her and looked about the TV. "Sssoooooo... Is it come kind of magic mirror?" she asked with bright eyes.

"Mirror on." Edith opened her arms up to the TV.

Coal watched them from the back of the room, a bit amused at this. "That's not how you talk to a magic mirror." He told her.

"Mirror, mirror!" Edith exclaimed. she waved her hands about in hopes it would do something. She looked over her shoulder when she heard a small chuckle come from Coal. "Oh, shut up." She narrowed her eyes.

Regina held back her own laugh as she turned on the TV. Edith jumped back and was quick into a fighting position. But as seconds went by she relaxed as she couldn't tell what to focus on. "It is magic." She walked up to the TV and placed a hand on the screen.

"It's just TV." Regina told her.

Edith nodded confidently as if she knew what Regina was saying. She looked back to Coal. "It's just TV." She stated with a smile.

Coal watched as Edith looked back to the screen with Regina. Regina started to flip through the channels and Edith would jump or make a squeak sound when something surprised her. While they were distracted his eyes trailed elsewhere. The stairs and the rooms. He bit his lower lip as he wondered if what they needed could be up there. Or anywhere in the house for that matter.

Regina wasn't sure what to set them up to watch. Instead she showed Edith how to use the controller as best as she could. "If you don't like what you see, use this button or this one to change the channels." She told her. She waited a few moments to make sure Edith knew what she was doing before leaving the girl and heading for the kitchen. She stopped half way through the room when she noticed Coal was looking up the stairs.

She could tell curiosity was on his mind. What he was curious about was the other question. "Coal?" She asked in a calm voice.

Coal quickly looked to Regina. "Why don't you and Edith have a seat. I should have something ready for dinner shortly." She told him as she walked over and stopped a foot away from him.

Coal nodded before heading for the couch, joining Edith to watch... TV.

Regina felt a little satisfied with keeping her eyes on them. Edith was more willing to explore what she showed her, but Coal...

Regina left her thoughts there as she went into the kitchen.

 **Read, Review, Comment!**

 **Time Travelers! Shocker! lol**

 **As far as this FF is going, I'm pretty proud of how things are playing out. So we now know that Edith and Coal are from another time... From the future or the past... Still it's a bit exciting. I would have to say that things will continue from here. The story should be opening up to the point where a lot of things will be explained more and where a lot of problems with arrive at the same time.**

 **I look forward to hearing what anyone has to say about the story so far. Please leave comments, questions or even if you don't like something. I love to read them as much as you love reading this FF.**


	7. Where to Begin?

Rumple looked over the new book and slowly looked up to the others standing in his shop. Emma and Charming just got done explaining everything to Rumple and were waiting for his response to all of this.

Rumple flipped through the pages, one at a time, looking over the pictures and words.

He pointed to one of the pictures and looked to Emma. "Time Travelers?" he asked with a slightly amused look.

Emma nodded, "Yeah, they claim to be from the future or something like that." She told him.

Rumple closed the book and shook his head, "Time travel is impossible." He told her flatly. "Even if we took all the magic from all the realms and placed them together in a spell to attempt such a feat..." He waved a finger before placing it on the book. "You would still get no where." he told her.

Emma crossed her arms over her chest and glanced to her father before looking back to Gold. "Are you sure?" she asked. They needed answers. This new threat already placed the whole town in danger. If not she would at some point.

"What about Morgana? What do we do about her?" David asked.

Gold placed the palm of his hand on the book as he thought about the question. He looked to David and Emma who both looked very concerned about the matter. He for one knew that they should be... Especially if they were really dealing with Morgana.

"If... IF, this masked woman truly is Morgana.. then we are in grave danger." He told them in a serious tone.

Emma and David both looked to one another before looking back to Gold. "So who is she? Wasn't she part of King Arthur's story?" Emma asked.

Gold gave Emma a very serious look as he tried to place the words he wanted to say together. "The story you may know is not the one that happened." He started to head to the back room of his shop motioning for the two to follow.

"Morgana was a student under Uthur Pindragon, just like Merlin." He went to a book shelf and looked back to Emma. "There was also another, Mordred." He pulled a large book from the shelf. "There isn't much about Uthur I'm afraid, but their is the story of what happen between his son and his three apprentices." He placed the heavy book on the table and opened it to more of the center area.

"Arthur was to be crowned the next king of Camelot. Morgana was to be his wife... But Morgana loved another..." He started. "She was said to be in love with Mordred... And Mordred was in love with her."

Gold looked to Emma and pointed to her. "Have you ever wondered where true love's first kiss came from?" he asked.

Both Emma and David were on the same page. Neither of them had ever wondered where the magic came from or how it came to be.

"It was said that she was the first to behold such magic with her love Mordred." Gold looked over the pages. The words were written in old lettering and in a different language. "This story is much older than one could ever possibly think. Long before my time, or even my mothers." He frowned a little as some of the past events sprung into his thoughts.

He shook them off and took a deep breath as he looked back to the pages. He ran a finger down the words and stopped. "It says that Arthur and Mordred battled for Morgana's heart. Arthur killed Mordred and Mordred wounded Arthur." Gold turned to the next page. "When hearing of the loose of her love, Morgana became enraged with anger. She turned her magic against Arthur and Merlin, using all of her magic to destroy the world that took her love." gold paused for a moment. "Arthur passed away sometime after his fight with Mordred. Leaving his father Uthur devastated that his only son was gone. Uthur cursed Morgana. Stripping her of all her magic and her memories. She would stay that way until she found true love once more. But Merlin made sure that this task wouldn't be so easy. He too placed a curse on Morgana. Making it so that way her true love would always stay far away from her."

Gold looked up from the book. "That's what the book says and nothing more." Gold quickly continued before Emma or David could get a word in. "Rumor has it that she is still out there... Cursed to never find her true love and to never remember who she truly was."

"Well that sucks." Emma glanced to David then back to Gold.

"But she's awake now, and has come back in time with Edith and Coal." David wanted answers on how to deal with this and both Emma and Gold would agree on the matter.

"Well it looks to me that you both have no choice." He gave them a forced and fake smile. "This Edith and Coal you speak of... They are holding back information." Gold's smile ran away as a twisted dark look came into his eyes. "And I hate information being withheld."

Edith's big bright eyes were locked on the TV screen in the living room. With every change of the screen she was captured by it's living stories.

Coal sat on the couch next to her, but his eyes were on the kitchen where Regina was.

"It's food all the time." Edith said in a drone like voice as she slowly looked to Coal. Her face too looked like a drone.

"What?" Coal asked as he turned his attention to her. He reached out and shoved her face with his hand. "Don't make that face... It's disturbing." He said before looking back to Regina.

"It's the food network." Edith corrected Coal. Even if there was nothing to correct him on. She scrunched her face when she noticed that Coal was not paying attention to her. "Are you listening?" she asked.

Coal snapped back to her and narrowed his eyes. "This is not a vacation." He whispered to her. "We are on a mission. If we want to save our world and destroy Morgana we need to.." Coal quickly stopped talking when Regina made her way into the room.

"Food will be ready shorty..." She looked at the two.

Edith and Coal both watched her.

"The table's not going to set itself." Regina motioned to the dinning room.

Coal looked to the table with a disgusted look. Before he could say anything Edith jumped from her seat, "Okay!" She exclaimed in a happy tone.

Coal watched as Edith rushed into the kitchen and started to open up cabinets. She had no idea where anything was and with each time she opened something, she got easily distracted. Announcing her finds with Ooooooss, and Aaaaahhhhss.

Regina smiled seeing Edith so eager to help. She turned back to Coal. "Are you going to help her?" she asked.

Coal gave Regina a stern look, "King's don't set tables." He stated before turning in his seat and back to the TV.

Regina hated his tone already and between the two, Coal had a sour attitude since he got her. Regina made her way around the couch to the TV. She turned it off and crossed her arms over her chest. "You are not a King right now. Right now you are a teen living under my roof... A guest if you will." She stated nicely. She took a few steps closer to him. "None the less... If you want to eat..." Regina gave him a smile. "You'll help set the table." Her smile and nice tone quickly ran away and she stared him down.

Coal stared back and was about to say something when a loud crash came from the kitchen. Edith let out a yell, "Sorry." She added. She quickly knelled on the floor and started to pick up the broken plates.

Regina left the living room in a hurry and off to help Edith with the broken plates. "Don't touch anything." She told Edith. Edith already had a few pieces in her hands which she quickly dropped back to the floor, making them shatter even more.

Regina noticed the upset look in Edith's eyes and gave the girl a warm smile. "No use crying over broken plates." She told the young girl. "I'll get the broom and we can clean this up together." She told Edith. Edith nodded and watched as Regina went to the nearest closet and took out a broom and a dust pan. As Regina made her way back to her and the broken plates Edith spotted Coal sneaking up the stairs. Edith quickly diverted her attention back to Regina and the mess. "I didn't think they were so heavy." She frowned while trying to force a smile.

Regina only gave Edith a light smile before starting to clean up the mess.

Coal used this little distraction as a good way to continue on with his mission. Edith was easily distracted from things, but he needed to focus.

He made his way up the stairs and down the hall to Regina's bed room. He slowly opened the door and peeked into the dark cold room. He stepped in, making sure not to make a sound as his eyes wandered about the room.

"Where are you...?" he asked as he made sure to be very cautious while in her room. "Where is that spell book?"


	8. Truth be told through her Tears

Regina, Coal and Edith sat at the dinner table in utter silence. It had been two days since Emma and David spoke with Gold about the book and Morgana. There was no sign of Morgana and no matter how many times Emma and David stopped by to get more information, Coal and Edith withheld it greatly. So dinner seemed a bit tense. Well any meal at that point.

Coal picked at his food, more so just moving it around on his plate as his mind went over the entire house. He checked every where for that damn book and still no luck. His eyes shifted to Regina when the woman reached out and picked up her wine glass. She took a sip before placing it back down. She noticed Coal watching her every move as she had been trying to keep tabs on him. A few times she let him out of her sight, and that bothered her.

Edith on the other hand seemed more welcoming to conversation, but she even had her limits. If they got on the Morgana topic Edith would go quiet. Especially if Coal was around.

Regina shifted her attention to Edith for a moment. "What would you say to eating out tomorrow?" Regina asked. Edith looked up sharply from her plate with wide eyes as she looked to Regina. She wasn't sure what she meant but Edith was already voting yes in her head.

"You mean leave here?" Coal asked.

Regina nodded.

"I don't think so." Coal dropped his fork next to his plate and leaned back in his chair.

Regina smirked. "Good to know... But I wasn't asking you." Regina looked to Edith. "I was wondering if you might want to get out of the house for a while." Regina smiled to Edith.

Edith nodded with a mouth full of food. "Really?" She asked almost loosing her food.

Regina had an itch to tell Edith to not speak with her mouth full but instead nodded. "We can go shopping, maybe go to granny's and get lunch?" Regina wished there was more to do. But if she played her cards right, she might be able to get Edith to talk.

Coal looked to Edith and narrowed his eyes. Edith glanced to Coal feeling his gaze and swallowed her food. She turned back to Regina, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Edith didn't have second thoughts, Coal had second thoughts for her.

Regina smiled, "Of course. We can't have the two of you locked up in here forever." Regina looked to Coal and gave him a warning eye.

"And what am I going to do while the both of you are out 'shopping'." Coal quoted with his fingers.

Regina shrugged, "I haven't thought of it yet." She lied through her teeth. If she could possibly get Edith one on one, she might be able to squeeze out some answers. Mean while she was going to have Emma, David and Gold watch Coal. She noticed that he was up to something and she certainly didn't want him to be left by himself at her home.

Emma and David agreed to watch over Coal and Gold mentioned that he could swing by and see what he could get out of Coal too. Tag team on them while they were separated...

Coal narrowed his eyes at Regina as if he knew she was lying. Regina picked up on this as if she could tell what he was thinking at that moment. She didn't know why, but she had a small feeling in her stomach.

The next day was indeed a tricky one.

Regina waited at the front door with Coal as Edith was still upstairs finishing getting ready. Regina looked at her watch calmly when she looked up getting a death stare from Coal. "I get it, you're upset." Regina narrowed her eyes. "But maybe if you had a better attitude you'd be the one going out and not her." Regina forced a smile at him. It wasn't so much forced as it was mocking him.

Coal had his arms crossed and his shoulder was leaning on the wall next to the door. His eyes locked on his target. He forced a mocking look back in response.

Regina took a few steps over to the stairs and looked up. "Are you almost ready Edith?" Regina called out.

"Just about!" Edith called back.

Edith stood in her room looking herself over in the mirror. She frowned at the clothes she had on and wondered if they were good enough. She wanted things to go just right today. If it didn't she would be screaming at herself for a long time. She took in a deed breath before exhaling. She had to make due with what she had. "Ready." She whispered to herself as she locked eyes with her reflection.

She left her room in a hurry and headed down the stairs. "Ready." She chirped.

Regina smiled as she looked Edith over. "I can see that." Regina did like the choice of simple clothing Edith had picked out. She only had a few things since Regina hadn't had time to get them more clothes. But this was yet another blessing in disguise.

Just as Regina was about to check her watch again, the door bell rang. "That must be Emma." She motioned for Coal to open the door.

Coal rolled his eyes as he reached out and turned the knob swinging the door open with little effort or moving from his spot.

As the door opened Regina and Edith were a bit taken back when they saw Emma... And Killian.

"Where's David?" Regina asked.

Emma and Killian entered into the house and started to take off their coats. "Someone has to play sheriff." She hung up her coat and took Killian's to place next to hers.

"We figured we'd take turns." Killian reassured Regina.

"That way you have more than enough time for..." She motioned to Regina and Edith. "This." Emma smiled.

Regina had already went over her plans with Emma so both knew what their missions were. Separate and conquer.

"Well then... We are off." Regina headed out the door with Edith in step. Coal gave Edith a very strong look as she left, giving her a pit like feeling in her stomach.

She knew that without Coal around Regina might get the better end of her. As they made it to the car Edith felt a strange little twist in that pit... It wouldn't be the end of the world. She smiled and let a skip hop in her step as they got in the car and drove off. Leaving Coal with Emma and Killian.

"Don't know if you remember me mate', Killian from the hospital." Killian held out his hand to Coal in hopes of some form of connection.

Coal looked at Killian's hand and then up to Killian. He held his ground of not moving or toning down his stare.

Killian had heard a lot about him from Emma and Regina by this point. He heard that Coal was indeed cold and hard to communicate with. So he expected this in some way. He retracted his hand and let out a rough sigh. "So... Anyone up for a board game?" he asked.

Emma found this a little out there but she was quick to see he was doing. If Coal was going to be tough to work with... Why not make his life a bit more annoying.

"I think the games are down here." Emma pointed to the closet under the stairs.

Coal watched as Emma made her way to the closet. He looked back to Killian and gave a forced 'you're gonna regret this' smile.

Killian smirked back, "I already do." He whispered to Coal.

"Found one!" Emma pulled a board game from the closet and moved to the dinning room table.

Killian reached out and placed his good hand on Coal's shoulder. "If you make us suffer, we return the favor." He whispered again as he lead Coal away from the door and to the table. Coal already hated the pirate with a bitter passion.

As time passed, Regina and Edith found themselves having a better time than expected.

Edith was in the dressing room trying on a new dress while Regina stood outside holding more clothes for the girl to try on. "I found a really cute one that you might like." Regina stated as she looked over the tag for the size. "I think it's your size." She only wished that she got the sizes right. So far she was doing a good job, but she wanted to make sure Edith felt comfortable.

Edith was more than comfortable. She was having so much fun. "We never have places like this at home." Edith said from inside the dressing room.

Regina laughed a little. "Well there is a large difference between the Enchanted Forest and this world." She reassured her.

Edith couldn't even begin to agree on the words. "I mean who would have thought to come up with an idea such as a 'mall'... The market is the closest thing we got to something like this." Edith looked herself over as the little black dress fit nicely. She opened the door to show Regina and spun around rather quickly. "I mostly just shop for weapons and armor." Edith told Regina.

Regina smiled at the dress and then to Edith. "Yes well... there are some perks to both sides." She could agree. But she liked it here more. Her family was here and she could find her happy ending with them.

Regina handed Edith the new dress and went to shoo her back into the dressing room when Edith stopped the door from closing. Edith's smile slowly ran away as she looked to Regina with serious eyes. "Thanks." She said quietly.

Regina automatically felt a slight connection with the girl.

"I mean it." Edith stated before letting the door close.

Regina felt a tug on her heart as the door shut. Something about her and Coal gave her chills. Edith warmed her heart while Coal made her want to slap him across the face.

They were brother and sister yet they were so different...

A few hours more into the day and Edith was sitting at Granny's downing a burger wearing her new little black dress. She was more than happy at this point. She had new clothes and had spent some time out of the house. "This is amazing!" Edith spoke with her mouth full.

"It's better if you swallow before speaking." Regina motioned to some food on Edith's cheek.

Edith whipped the food away with the back of her bare hand and smiled as she tried to chew her food so she could speak again. "Sorry." She managed once she got her food down.

"It's alright." Regina rolled her lips a bit. "I'm sure at some point your parents did show you manners." She picked at her own food.

Edith shook her head, and then shrugged quickly as she thought. "Well, they did... But they weren't around for very long." She told Regina as she took another large bite from her burger.

"How so?" Regina asked leaning into the table and placing her elbows at the edge.

Edith slowed her chewing down and swallowed roughly. She felt she had crossed the line at some point. The line Coal told her to never cross. She locked eyes with Regina and felt sadness rolling up her spine as she thought about her parents. "Morgana." Edith slowly spoke.

"Morgana killed your parents?" Regina asked.

Edith shook her head. "We're not sure..." Edith looked down at her food suddenly loosing her appetite. She wanted to talk about it... She wanted to share... She wanted to reach out... Edith shot her eyes up when Regina placed a hand over hers.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to..." Regina said softly. "But just so you know... I'm here for you."

Edith didn't know what to say. "Can we go back now?" Edith asked slipping her hands away from Regina and placing the rest of her burger on her plate.

Regina felt like she had made some progress, but also for some reason felt bad about what she was trying to do. The lose of the girls parents effected her in a sad and painful way. She could see it and feel it without looking into Edith's eyes.

She nodded and waved to Granny for the check. "Yeah. We can go back now." Regina watched her slowly as Edith sat back in her seat holding back tears that were desperately wanting to come out.

Coal hated this world. He now sat across the table from David and Marry Margret. It was their turn to baby sit him it seemed. Emma and Killian gave him no time or chance to look further for the book, and David and Mary Margret just pissed him off.

Mary Margret had made them all tea and once more they sat at the table with the same stupid board game. They were wasting his time...

Coal may have been having a horrible time but Mary Margret and David seemed to be having a blast. Laughing and joking around.

"I don;t think I can recall a time where we could just sit and play a board game." David scratched his head a bit.

"I know isn't it weird?" Mary Margret smiled as she took a sip of her tea. "I mean ever since we meet..." She looked David in the eyes as she could recall every memory with him. "We've just been so busy." He knew exactly what she was talking about. Their constant fight with the evil queen who was now on their side, and all the countless battles after that.

Mary Margret looked to Coal and smiled. She was about to say something when the front door swung open and Edith rushed through heading straight upstairs to her room.

"How was the...?" Mary Margret cut off her own sentence when she realized that Edith looked very upset. She got up from her seat and was about to head for the stairs when Coal beat her to it. "Edith!" Coal called out to his sister.

David and Mary Margret looked very confused as to what might of happened. They turned to Regina as she came through the door carrying a little white box and a few shopping bags. She left the bags at the bottom of the steps and headed for the kitchen.

"Everything ok?" Mary Margret asked. Her concerned voice fell a little flat as she glanced back to the stairs.

Regina too had a slight look of sadness about her. She placed the white box in the fridge and finally started to take off her coat and scarf. She sighed placing them down on the kitchen counter. She ran her hands over her face and through her hair. She looked to David and Mary Margret and nodded. "It's fine." She stated.

"Are you sure?" David asked pointing to the stairs.

Regina nodded. "I'm sure." She felt a lump in her throat as she knew exactly what was wrong. "We just hit a topic that... Well." Regina looked to her feet and then back up. "It seems they have been through a lot more than we expected." Regina made her way to the door. "I think it's best we just leave them alone for a moment." Regina motioned for David and Mary Margret to leave.

David looked as if he wanted to stay and help, and Mary Margret did too, but Mary Margret quickly got a better sense of the situation. "I think it's about time we headed home." She placed a hand on David's shoulder. "Come on." She made her way to the door making sure she got everything.

"If you need anything, please give us a call." Mary Margret stated as she took her coat and handed David his.

Regina nodded, "I will be sure to do so." Regina gave Mary Margret a soft smiled.

David took his coat and pointed to the dinning room. "Also if you ever play a board game with Coal... He cheats." David warned her. "Killian even warned us... He's good at it." David tried to lighten the mood before leaving with Mary Margret.

Regina shut the door and already felt like Coal cheating at a board game was expected. He was sneaky in all aspects. She pressed her back on the door as she looked to the ceiling. She felt bad for prying like she did.

She looked around the house seeing the left out board game and a few things miss placed in the kitchen. Her eyes looked back to the stairs and the direction of Edith's room. She wanted to give them space, but she couldn't step away from this.

She slowly started to walk up the stairs being as quiet as she could heading to Edith's room.

She could hear the girl crying on the other side of the closed door when she placed her ear to it. Now she really felt bad.

Coal sat with Edith on her bed as she cried. He rubbed her back with his hand gently as he listened to her tears. "So she didn't do anything?" he asked.

Edith shook her head.

Coal let out a sigh as he wished he could make her happy again. But he knew this was tough for her.

"She's right there." Edith announced as she pointed to the door.

Regina felt taken back when she heard Edith's words. Did they know she was at the door?

Coal frowned at this. "I know." He said in a soft tone.

Edith looked at him with wide eyes and stood up from her bed. "Mom is right there and we can't even tell her who we are." Edith struggled with her words.

Coal just watched Edith as she stood in place. Covering her face with her hands.

"You know why we can't tell her." Coal tried to make his words clear.

"I know." Edith dropped her self face first onto her bed. She lifted up her face and looked to Coal. "It's so hard." She whipped a few tears away from her face.

Coal didn't even answer.

Edith looked to Coal. She didn't want to cry and more and knew that Coal never liked seeing Edith cry. He always tried to be the stronger older brother. He did his best and made sure that her and their kingdom was safe. They lived so many years, seeing so many people die for an on going war that they could not stop. She sat up and leaned into Coal, resting her head on his shoulder.

Coal wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her arm as he thought deeply about everything.

"Coal?" Edith asked.

Coal looked to Edith, "Hmm?"

Edith whipped her tears away once more as she sniffled her nose a bit. "Do you think she even likes us?" She asked.

Coal laughed, "Well she hates me." He smiled to her. "But she likes you." He smiled.

Edith smiled back and let the room sit quietly or a minute or two. She looked back up at Coal, "She took me shopping." She smiled.

Coal scrunched his nose, "I know..." he sounded like shopping was horrible and disgusting.

Edith laughed a bit as she twirled her finger at the bottom of her dress. "She picked this out for me." Edith felt the tears burning at her eyes again. She felt Coal wrap his other arm around her and pull her into a tight hug. At that moment Edith couldn't hold back her tears once more. She cried into his shoulder felling even sadder that her mom was in the same house and she couldn't give the woman a hug or confide in her.

Regina stood shocked on the other side of the door. This was impossible. If she heard right and placed all the clues together... That meant that Coal and Edith... Were her kids...

She placed a hand on her lower stomach not sure in what realm this could even be a thing. Her mother Cora took away her ability to have kids a long, long, long time ago. Regina stepped away from the door with more questions than anything running through her mind. She placed her other hand on the side of her face as her world began to spin.

She rushed away from the door feeling her chest tighten and her heart pounding in her chest. She had to get herself together. If these were her kids... She looked back at the door. How could she tell? She needed proof...

Regina forced herself out of her daze and made her way to her room. Her eyes narrowed as she was now a woman on a mission. If this was some kind of sick game these kids were messing with the wrong Queen...

Regina slipped into her room and shut the door behind her, determined to find the truth in all of this.


	9. Girl's Night

**Ragsweas I'm so glad you are still hanging around! And yes that is a great question! Are they her kids, or her other half?**

 **There is still so much left to this story.**

 **Like who is their father? And how were they able to time travels... More importantly... How the crap did Regina get pregnant?! There is ssssoooooooo much more to this story, it's still only the beginning.**

 **Hope you and the other readers enjoy.**

Regina had thought long and hard on the subject. It was more so the only thought on her mind.

Coal and Edith were her kids... Were they really? Her other half rang in her head as she worked her way around the kitchen. They came from the Enchanted Forest... So there was a very high and strong possibility that they were from the evil queen and not her.

But still, things didn't add up. She was not able to have children, which also meant that her second half wouldn't be able to either.

Regina took in a deep breath as she paused in her work. Making dinner was becoming more of a hassle than she thought. She looked around the kitchen as she had gathered most of the things that she would need, but with recent events...

She looked to the stairs, it had been a few hours and neither Coal or Edith had left Edith's room since she got home. She felt bad in a way. Her stomach twisted into a knot and she was starting to feel sick to her stomach.

She realized what she was going to do. She quickly grabbed everything and placed it all back where she had found the items. Once the kitchen was clean enough she brushed her hands through her hair, making sure she was presentable. Which didn't really do much for her as she picked up her phone and dialed a number.

She waited for the other person to answer and smiled hearing their voice. "No, everything is fine." She stated calmly. "But I have a favor to ask." Regina looked back to the stairs as the other person on the phone waited for her next words.

Regina readied herself for the events before her. She was dressed in a nice, slim short dress that hugged her figure to it's better points. Her hair and makeup were all done up as she took her purse and headed for the door after hearing the doorbell go off.

She opened the door to find four faces she cared about so much. "Thanks for coming." She welcomed them warmly.

Emma, Killian, David and Mary Margret all walked into Regina's home. Emma and Mary Margret looked just as dolled up as Regina did, while Killian and David were dressed for a night spent at home.

"I was shocked that you wanted to have a girls night." Mary Margret smiled as she looked about. She and the others were indeed looking around in hopes to find Coal and Edith. But they were no where to be seen.

"They are upstairs." Regina reassured them. She walked to the steps and stood at the bottom looking up. "Coal? Edith?" She paused, "Can you come down here for a minute?" She added. She was pleased to hear Coal and Edith emerge from Edith's room shortly after her calling.

Both made their way halfway down the steps when they noticed all the extra people.

"Something wrong?" Coal asked as he eyes the group.

Regina smirked at him. "No." She stated briefly. "I'm heading out with Emma and Mary Margret for a few hours, which means the two of you get to hang out with Prince Charming and a one handed pirate." She motioned to Killian and David. She looked back to them with a small smile. "And pizza." Her smile grew a bit bigger at that point. What kids wouldn't like the cheesy circle of goodness?

Edith's face light up as she heard the word pizza. But then again, say anything involving food and Edith was excited. Coal on the other hand narrowed his eyes at Regina. "What the hell is pizza?" he asked.

Regina had to hold back a laugh as she shifted her eyes away from them. She looked back and smirked. "Trust me you'll like pizza." She said with confidence.

Regina turned and made her way to the door. "I left the board games on the table." Regina turned to Killian and David. "Pizza has been ordered with money for it in the kitchen..." Regina started to list off a few things for them. "You both have my number..." She didn't even realize what she was saying until she looked looked up from her purse and noticed the strange looks the others were giving her.

She brushed her hair away from her face and cleared her throat a bit. "I'll just leave you both... Yeah.." She turned to Emma and Mary Margret. "Shall we?" she asked. Emma and Mary Margret had no idea why Regina asked for this kind of outing. She was very vague as to why or what she wanted to talk about. But something was a bit off about her in such a short period of time.

"Have fun." Edith called to Regina as Regina went to leave the house. Regina looked over her shoulder at both Coal and Edith on the steps. She smiled to them and gave a small wave before leaving and shutting the door behind her.

Once the girls were gone David and Killian looked to one another before looking to Coal and Edith. "How about a board game?" David asked as he clasped his hands together. Edith jumped in her step as she rushed down the stairs. "Like with wooden boards?" Edith asked as she hurried to the first floor.

David slimmed his eyes, "Not quite." He motioned to the dinning room.

Killian watched David and Edith head to the dinning room and then looked back to Coal on the steps. "You coming?" he asked.

Coal just gave the pirate a dead stare before slowly descending the stairs. He stopped in front of Killian and slowly blinked.

Killian wasn't sure how respond to this. He was just a kid, but his death stares scared him a little... Just a little. He recalled what Emma had told him about this kid's magic and had never heard anything like it. He had yet to see him use his magic, and frankly he really didn't want to.

He motioned to the table where David and Edith were setting up the game. "So there's no fighting?" Edith asked as she looked over one of the game pieces. David laughed, "Nope, no fighting... Well... Arguing." He looked over to Killian and Coal finally joining them at the table. "We played this game with your brother earlier today." David gave Coal a stern look.

"He cheated." Killian stated rather quickly as he walked past Coal and found a seat at the table.

Edith laughed at this. "Of course he did." She rolled her eyes. "You should see him in a fight." She smiled to Coal.

"I did, a few days ago." David reminded her.

Edith took her seat and Coal slowly but surely took the seat next to her. "That was no fight." Edith shook her head.

David glanced to Killian for a minute. "What is he like in a fight then?" David asked.

"Deadly." Coal narrowed his eyes and locked them with David. The stone cold serious look on his face turned int a high warning one.

David and Killian both had no idea how to respond to this.

"So how do we play this game?" Edith asked as she hopped in her seat.

Thank the stars for that.

David smiled as he pulled out the rule book and started to go over the rules with Coal and Edith. Coal already knew how to play the game... And knew how to cheat, so this was more so for Edith. Killian kept his eyes on Coal as David went over how to play with Edith.

If it wasn't for Edith... This wouldn't be a pleasant evening.

Regina took a sip of her drink as she tried to ignore the blank stares coming from Emma and Mary Margret.

"Your kids?" Emma asked.

"Oh my gosh, Regina that's amazing." Mary Margret sounded more than happy.

She had just finished telling them about what she over heard and what she had placed together. "Well... They might not be my kids." She stated. "They could be the evil queen's kids for all we know." She told them.

Emma scrunched her face as she thought about Edith and Coal. She shook her head, "What can we do to find out?" she asked.

Regina was at a lose on that question. She couldn't do a blood magic spell... Mostly because her other half... Was, well... Her. And who knows who is really their father. If it was the evil queen it could be Robin... But then there was always the chance that it could be someone else.

"Well I think it's really cool." Mary Margret sipped on her drink. She smiled to Regina. "You actually have kids in the future." she looked to Emma and then back to Regina. "It's what you always wanted." She smiled.

Regina could agree with all her heart on that topic. She always did want a happy ending for herself... She had one... But deep down it didn't feel the same as having a child you gave birth to with your one true love. It pained her in the pit of her black heart.

"I can see the resemblance." Emma spoke up.

Regina and Mary Margret turned to Emma.

"Well mostly in Coal." She nodded. "He reminds me of you when we first meet... Without the threats..." Emma stopped and shook her heard as she recalled all the stares and warning looks Coal gave to those around him. "Well... Sometimes." She added before picking up her beer and taking a large gulp.

Regina let out a sigh not sure where this would go. She was a bit taken back from Mary Margret's reaction. The woman found the silver lining in every clouded curse she threw at her. And Emma. She had a feeling Emma was just glad that Coal and Edith weren't her kids it seemed.

"Do they know that you know?" Emma asked.

Regina shook her head.

Mary Margret frowned a little at this. She personally felt for Regina. After all they had been through and after everything that had happened in the past. She felt both good and bad about the subject. But it was also a very confusing topic. If they weren't hers and they were the evil queens... She secretly crossed her fingers that they were Regina's kids.

"So what next?" Mary Margret spoke up.

Regina was lost for ideas, "If I had a plan i would have told you by now." Regina found herself getting a bit snappy on the subject and didn't mean to snap at Mary Margret. "I'm sorry I snapped." Regina was quick to apologize.

"Don't be." Mary Margret reached out and placed a hand onto Regina's. "This must be frustrating." She added.

She could only imagine. Regina thought.

"Smack the truth out of them." Emma stated flatly. "Well Coal... Really. That kid has one serious attitude." Emma added.

Regina grumbled at the thought. "I'm not going to smack them."

Mary Margret nodded, "Nothing good would come of that." She placed in her two cents.

Emma leaned into the table and looked at Regina. "Test them." She told her.

"How so?" Regina asked.

Emma shrugged, "There are many things I wanted to share with Henry after he was born, things That I would want to pass onto him. Even if the evil queen is half you, I'm sure there are differences." She hoped this might be a good answer for this situation.

"Huh?" Regina thought about it. There were things that she shared with Henry that the evil side of her didn't. It was a start... Possibly a good start. But what would she bring to the table if she did have her own kids...

Regina recalled when her first curse broke and she was able to finally show Henry her magic. She made him this giant cupcake and told him that she would be able to show him how to use magic. She was also strict with rules and wanted him to grow up just right. Between her and Emma raising Henry.. She was indeed happy with how Henry turned out. A young man almost ready to finish school... He respected women and was open with his feelings. Regina smiled at how Henry turned out.

But her smile ran away when she thought about Coal. Edith seemed like a warm hearted person, while Coal had the complete opposite personality. Cold, distant... they even mentioned that their parents weren't around in their future. Where was she then? Was she dead?

Regina down her drink and waved the glass in the air. "Another round." She stated quickly. This was a lot to take in and she still had yet to gather all the information.

"You'll figure it out." Mary Margret showed confidence in her voice. She had seen Regina come over a lot of obstacles and over came them once she placed her mind to it. This time would be no different.


	10. Tea Time

When Regina and the others arrived back from their night out, they came home to David and Killian sitting at the dinning room table. Each with a cup of coffee and the board games and pizza boxes shoved to the side.

Regina tilted her head as she looked around, "Where is Edith and Coal?" she asked as Emma noticed the same thing. Mary Margret hung up her coat when the question was asked. She too now had a small worried look on her face.

"Sound asleep on the couch." Killian stated as he leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his coffee. "I hope that's de-cafe." Emma pointed to his cup as Regina moved to the living room. There she found both Coal and Edith passed out next to one another. They seemed so peaceful, and yet disturbing. Regina narrowed her eyes, "Please tell me you both didn't fall for this."

Both David and Killian got up from where they were sitting and headed to the couch. "Fall for what?" David asked as he looked over the two teens.

Regina rolled her eyes and reached out tugging on the blanket under the two. With the slightest movement the two teens feathered into the blanket. Regina lifted up the blanket and showed it to them. "It's one of the first tricks in the book." Regina couldn't believe what she had come home to.

Killian turned to Emma and looked to his cup, "Non de-cafe now, love." he stated in a somewhat hushed tone.

"Where do you think they went to?" Mary Margret spoke up as she came over to help inspect the scene.

"Probably ran off." Emma shook her head before running a hand through her hair.

"How long did were they over here?" Regina asked as she tossed the blanket back onto the couch.

David looked to Killian hoping the pirate would state the answer. Killian just motioned to his cup before heading off to the kitchen.

"A few hours..." David finally answered.

"Hours?" Regina exclaimed.

"They said they wanted to watch tv." David stated in defense.

The room started to feel a bit tense with this new information. Mostly from Regina's side. These were her kids. The only other two people that knew what she knew were standing in the room next to her.

"Where could they have gone to?" Mary Margret asked.

This hit Regina like a tone of bricks. Lost like how she was with Henry when he was younger. There were times where Henry would run off to one of his hiding places and she would have no idea where that was. She got lucky that Emma was around and Henry shared those places with her.

These were two kids from her own flesh and blood and she didn't even know where to start. She made her way to the bottom of the stairs as she tried to think quickly. She knew there were things around the house that belonged to them. A simple tracking spell would help with this situation.

"We'll help find them Regina." Mary Margret tried to shed some light onto the situation.

"Find who?" Coal stood at the top of the stairs and started to make his way down. He stopped half way when everyone came into the main entry way to look at him.

Regina and the others felt greatly confused. "Where's Edith?" She asked as she studied the young teen.

Coal smirked and leaned on the rail, "In her room sleeping." He tilted his head. "Why?" he asked with a small sly smirk.

Regina narrowed her eyes, "Do you think this is funny?" She asked.

Coal wanted to laugh but shook it off. "Not as much as a cheating pirate." Coal looked to Killian who came back into the room.

"You cheated." Killian pointed out.

Coal rolled his eyes. He knew he cheated, but he also knew that playing silly board games was a waist of his time here in the past. They were treating them like kids when they had bigger problems.

Regina gritted her teeth as she didn't know how to approach this. "Who taught you that trick?" she asked.

Coal blinked and looked back to her. "Cheating?" he asked.

"The spell." She stated clearly.

Coal smiled at her, "When your a King and everyone treats you like a child, you get creative." Coal started to head back up stairs.

Regina wanted to say more but she let him take his leave. She released a heavy breath as more of the reality hit her. Also more questions. Were they really her's?

"Slap him." Emma stated.

Everyone looked to Emma. "What?" she shrugged. "Slap him or ground him." She shrugged once more.

Mary Margret frowned a little. "Emma." She said softly with a small look of disapproval.

"I'll slap him." Killian commented as he took a sip from his coffee. He immediately spat his coffee back into the cup. "Should have thought this through." He looked to his cup knowing that it wasn't de-cafe anymore.

"He just seems tense." David jumped in. "Think about it. He's here with his sister, they are both from another time and they have some crazy woman after them." He sighed, "He's probably just stressed.

"Yeah well that's not an excuse for his attitude." Emma stated. "I've dealt with stuck up kids like him before. A good slap across the face normally straightened them right out." She added.

"And I've dealt with cheaters." Killian thought, "but then again, beat a cheater and well... He's still a cheater."

Regina looked at them with a dull expression. "Great advice." She stated sarcastically.

Mary Margret turned to Regina as the others made their way to the door. "I'm sure you'll figure something out." She told her before giving her a hug good bye. Regina nodded as the wheels in her head were already turning.

After saying goodbye and shutting the door behind everyone, Regina noticed that the house was extremely quiet. She looked to the top of the stairs before making her way up them slowly. When she came to Edith's room, she opened the door quietly and peeked in. Edith was passed out in her bed.

Regina closed the door quietly before looking to Coal's room. The door was slightly cracked which made things all too easy for Regina to look inside. Coal was lounging about on his bed reading. Regina found this a bit odd, but not too odd. More so as to what he could be reading.

She stepped away from the door thinking to herself about everything. If these were her kids... Then her kids were indeed being hunted down by Morgana. Even if they came from her other half, Regina would not stand for her own flesh and blood to be hunted.

She narrowed her eyes as she made her way back down the stairs. She looked about and found the mess still on the dinning room table. She started to clean it up as she pondered on what to do next. They still had no idea that she knew who their mother was...

Who was their father?

Robin? Or maybe another?

Regina placed the board games away and threw away the empty pizza box. It was about time she got some real answers.

"She's what?" Killian asked.

"Wait, so, Coal and Edith are Regina's kids?" David asked.

Mary Margret nodded as she finished cleaning up the dishes after breakfast.

Emma came into Mary Margret's apartment and tossed her keys on the table by the door. "Speaking of kids, Henry is now at school." Emma announced as she walked into the kitchen and poured herself some coffee.

"How is that even possible?" David asked.

Emma rose her brows as she blew onto the hot cup of coffee. "Simple, I drove him to school." Emma smirked.

"Very funny love." Killian wanted to laugh.

"I mean about Regina having kids. Wasn't she cursed to where she can't have any kids?" David looked to Mary Margret.

Mary Margret shrugged, "Maybe all that changes in the future?" she suggested. "But I think it's wonderful." She smiled and held a gleam of hope in her eyes. "Regina always wanted kids of her own."

"And one of them has her old attitude." Emma stated. She looked up from her cup and noticed that everyone was looking at her. "Come on, tell me Coal doesn't remind you of the old Regina?" She asked.

"He does... In some ways." David confessed.

"He plays games like the Evil Queen use to. If the rules didn't help her win, she would break them and make her own rules." Killian grumbled.

Mary Margret frowned at where the conversation was going. The spoke more so about Coal's attitude then about the fact that Regina has kids. "Maybe we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover." She pointed out.

"Maybe we could slap him with a book cover." Emma responded with sarcasm once more.

"Regina could actually get her happy ending... the one she has always wanted." Mary Margret looked around the now very quiet room.

Now becoming a bit too quiet as they all thought about it more.

Regina was always the villain, right from the start. but as their lives twisted and turned things became clear. Regina just wanted what they all wanted. A happy ending to their story. Even if it wasn't perfect, the future was telling all of them that it could happen. That Regina could truly be a hero in disguise.

"What do you have in mind?" Emma asked as they all gathered around one another. "What can we do to help Regina?"

"I think I might have an idea." Mary Margret said with confidence.

Coal sat across the dinning room table from Gold with his arms folded and slouching in his chair.

Gold sat quietly with both hands on the top of his cane and his eyes locked with Coal's.

They had been sitting like that for a hot moment now. Not a word was said and neither broke eye contact. Edith stood at the edge of the kitchen looking into the dinning room. Watching the two. Her eyes narrowed as she could recall her mother once telling them about the Dark One. She already knew he wasn't a force to be messed with, yet here he was sitting across from Coal... Yet another force not to be toyed with.

Edith glanced over her shoulder to glance at Regina who was gathering up cups and a tea kettle. Regina seemed more calm for some reason. She brought over the tray and passed by Edith heading to the table.

Coal and Gold kept eye contact even when Regina placed the tray on the table. She too noticed the silent death stare coming from both of them. She was about to say something when Gold beat her to it.

He leaned forward, "How does one create a time spell and then gather enough magic to use it?" He asked in a cool collected voice. "Mind you there isn't enough magic in the world to even cast such a spell in the first place." He narrowed his eyes at Coal studying him.

Coal smirked at this as he too leaned forward, placing both hands folded on the table in front of him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I would, which is why I asked." Gold leaned in a little more. His words hissed through his teeth as they still refused to break.

"Tea?" Regina asked as she held up a cup. She looked to both of them and felt her nerves twist. She knew Gold wouldn't be able to get anything from Coal. He was indeed stubborn. he placed the cup back on the tray. "Well if you want tea it's right here." She stated clearly. She grumbled as the two continued their staring contest.

"Alright then." she clasped her hands together. "I'm going out for a bit. Gold will watch the two of you..."she could tell he would keep an eye on them.

Regina walked around the table and headed for the door. Edith was quick to her side. "Can I come with you?" she asked.

Regina smiled to Edith, "Not this time." She told her in a soothing voice. "I'll be back before you know it." With that Regina left with her coat in hand.

Edith looked back to Coal and Gold.

"You take one board game out and I'll burn it." Coal warned.

Gold laughed a little, "What makes you think I want to play games with a cheater?" he asked smirking. "That's right. I've heard all about your little childish ways." Gold reached out for the kettle and a cup. "Even your little tricks with magic." He smirked as he poured himself a cup of tea.

Edith grumbled as she watched the two. She felt like she was being punished for something.

Regina knew what she had to do, but first she needed a few things. The drive to the cemetery was quiet. Getting to her vault was easier said than done. Even gathering and finding the things she needed was all too easy. She placed all the items on the table in the center of the room and looked them over making sure she had everything. If they weren't going to talk, she needed another way to get them to.

She paused for a moment when she looked up and to the mirror on her wall. She walked over to it and looked herself over. the thought of having kids was indeed something she would always have. But, now, there was proof that she could have kids. Kids she could call her own. Yeah they weren't perfect, but they were hers.

A soft smile started to crease the corners of her lips as the thought started to take over her mind. They could truly be hers. Hope stirred in the pit of her stomach as she locked eyes with her reflection.

Sometime in the future she would have kids...

She could feel tears burning at the corners of her eyes. Henry was indeed a blessing and she would never cease to ever think that he was not her son. But, even if she desperately wanted him to be her flesh and blood, she knew that would never happen. No mater how mush she loved him, nor how much he loved her.

Her hands covered her lips as she saw them quiver with joy and sadness at the same time. Tears burned so bad that when she closed her eyes a few were released. Her body shook at the thought.

She could have the happy ending she always wanted. She could have and raise a family that was hers and hers alone.

She choked back the cries wanting to come out as she stepped closer to the mirror. She placed a hand on her reflection and the mirror rippled into changing it's view.

She watched as Edith, Coal and Gold sat at her dinning room table. Edith at the far end drinking and eating the little snacks with the tea, but Coal and Gold were still at their staring contest.

She couldn't help but watch Edith and Coal closely. They both had similar features that matched her own. Coal more than Edith.

She laughed a little as she watched Edith reach out for another snack only to see that she had eaten all of them. She frowned and looked about the table. Gold and Coal still had theirs.

Edith looked at the two before slowly reaching out for the snacks. "Don't even think about it deary." Gold snipped. Edith withdrew her hand from Gold's food and slowly looked to Coal. Coal reached out and slid his plate to Edith without looking at the plate or Edith. Coal tilted his head a bit at Gold, "How does the Dark One get tricked into baby sitting?" Coal smirked.

Gold only smirked back, "I wouldn't call this baby sitting." Gold responded.

"Then what would you call it?" Coal asked.

"Assurance." Gold smirked back.

Regina wanted to laugh a bit at the scene but found that she needed to get back. She didn't want to be gone too long. What if Morgana showed up and she wasn't there? Her stomach turned at the thought of loosing people she hardly even knew yet. She stepped back from the mirror and waved her hand. The mirror opened up revealing a hidden compartment where she kept her mothers spell book and a few other items. She picked up a small vile from the shelving and waved her hand as the mirror closed off the compartment.

She placed it with the other things and started to pack it all up.


	11. Where art Thou?

**: I honestly didn't see them as the type to check for little spells here or there with Edith and Coal. They would check to see if they were still there, which what they saw them sleeping. But it seemed more interesting to think see that Coal and Edith were a bit sneaky about some little things. Making David and Killian more on their guard when they are around the two later on in the story.**

 **On with the story! (^_^)**

Their staring came to a pause when Coal left for the bathroom, leaving Edith with Gold for a few minutes. Gold glanced to Edith who had finished all the snack by herself except his. He eyed her a bit and then to her empty plate. The girl looked nervous. Worried about the interaction with him. Gold could tell easily as he had come across those who were very cautious of their actions many of times.

But what she was so worried about lingered in his mind. He already knew that the two were very secretive about where they came from. Metabolizing with time was just the icing on the cake of time travel... If it were possible... But with the arrival of the two, Gold was still skeptical about if they were from the future or not. For all he knew, they could be lying about everything. They could be putting on an act just to get something they were looking for that they had.

He noticed how Edith hunched over and placed both her hands between her knees. She dared not to make eye contact with Gold unlike Coal. The two were great opposites and it wasn't with just their personalities. Gold picked up on he fact that Edith had no magic abilities lingering about her. Meanwhile Coal had an abundance of magic just dripping off his fingers.

His perceptive eyes took in more than most would even begin to understand. Look at the greater picture, but also the fine detail that created such a master piece of life.

If the rumors were true and these two were Regina's biological children from the future, then how did it come to be that Coal had such a stronger difference of magic than Regina, while the girl held none?

The thought bothered him greatly as more questions and thoughts ran through his mind. Without realizing how deep he dabbled into his thoughts, time slipped by. He quickly snapped from his thoughts when he saw that Coal had not returned to finish their little contest.

He slowly got up from his chair seeing that he caught Edith's attention. "I'm gonna go check on your brother." He merely smiled at her weakly. As he turned to head for the bathroom, a slightly angered look crossed his eyes. He felt as if Coal was up to something.

As he neared the bathroom he could feel that strange magic taking action. It wasn't much but it was something. He stopped at the bathroom door and went to raise his cane to knock, only to pause. He tried to guess what the older sibling was trying to do. He listened and heard nothing. Just as he was about to knock to try and catch Coal in the middle of using magic the door opened.

Coal blinked seeing Gold standing outside the bathroom door. "It's all yours." Coal smirked as he casually walked past the Dark One. Coal headed back to the dining room and Gold watched him carefully. He looked back to the bathroom and stepped inside looking about. He could tell something was off, but what?

He trailed over the contents of the sink and finally looking to the mirror. He narrowed his eyes. If he knew anything about Regina, mirrors and her were like her and her red apples.

With a wave of his hand the mirror began to fog up with a mixture of purple and black mist. This was half of Regina's mark and of another. He twisted his lips and clenched his teeth as he saw that his magic would not reveal what Coal's true intentions were. It came with great anger and disappointment in himself. He was the Dark One. No one slithered by him without him knowing, yet Coal had the upper hand in this situation.

He waved his hand again and the mist cleared from the mirror.

Unlike Regina, Gold had very specific ways of dealing with certain matters. He made his way back to the dinning room where he found the two sitting quietly. He went to his seat but refused to take a seat. He looked to Coal and narrowed his eyes, "What spell did you cast?" He asked in a dark hushed tone. Gold was in no mood to play games and he already was warned about Coal's cheating habits.

Coal let his eyes shift up to Gold, "What spell? He asked in a calm yet bitter tone.

Gold was angered quickly by this. "I'd advise you to not play games." Gold had to keep his cool if he could. He also didn't want to reveal all of his cards at once. "If you think you can pass one over on me you're wrong." Gold warned. "And if you are from the future you would know that my ways are pretty dark." Gold locked eyes with Coal.

He could see that Coal was thinking about his next move like a chess game. Thinking that he was ahead by ten moves only to get caught and fall behind by seven. A tough spot for a chess player, and yet this just told Gold that Coal underestimated his opponent.

Coal smirked a little as he leaned forward, "Why don't you tell me?" This was more of a statement then a question gathered by the tone of his voice.

Coal was pushing buttons he shouldn't be pushing. "You do know who I am... Don't you?" Gold asked. Gold was a little curious about his own question. Was he in the future? Was he still the Dark One? Or did something change?

Coal tilted his head ever so slightly at Gold's words. "Enlighten me." Coal took his hand and pressed just about ever button Gold had to offer.

This kid was strongly getting to his nerves. He could feel the anger building up all too fast, he had to take in a breath just to keep his cool. He had done this many of times before with others, so to Coal, Gold looked calm, yet annoyed.

Gold laughed with a shake of his head. "You know damn well who I am." Gold hissed. "And I want to know what spell you casted. So enough games." He stated.

Edith slowly crewed her food, more like Gold's food as she watched the two. When Gold left the table she couldn't help herself. She needed a distraction and food was a go to for her. She didn't like what she was watching. She dreaded it. Coal had explained to her time and time again why coming back in time could mess up their very existence. Saying or doing the wrong thing could tragically end everything that they knew and loved, possibly even ending their lives. Coal even had the theory that them even showing up and being noticed could already alter the time line.

Time travel was not a thing. It was an idea that magic could never bend or break. Yet here they were, in the past, possibly killing themselves.

Edith gulped felling the tension and silence taking over. She felt greatly uncomfortable even just being in the same room as Coal and the Dark One.

Yes they knew who he was and knew all the stories about him. Edith was starting to see the truth behind the stories, why people shook in their boots when he was near, or even speaking about him. She never took the stories so seriously as they were just stories when she was growing up. But seeing and hearing were two very different things.

She wondered how Coal could be so calm around Gold. Her eyes fell to her empty plate and wondered why she was so effected by how Gold spoke and held himself. She had faced many dangerous things and monsters that made her tremble, but this was something much different. It was like a darkness eating away inside her that caused fear when around him.

"I don't like repeating myself, and trust me what I say I wont ask again nicely." He gritted his teeth. "What spell, did you cast?" Gold's tone was far from warning, it was on the edge of sure anger.

Coal leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "Then don't ask." Coal held his ground well. He watched as Gold fought with the urge to let out his anger.

Just before Gold was about to let out the beast the front door opened. Regina stepped inside and placed her coat on the coat rack by the door.

Edith snapped the tension like a hot knife to butter as she jumped up from her seat and rushed to the door. "You're back!" She exclaimed in an all too happy voice. She was indeed happy that Regina was back, one more second with Gold and Coal might have thrown the house into a battle field.

"This isn't over." Gold warned Coal in a hushed dark tone.

"I look forward to our next game." Coal smirked as he responded back in the same volume.

Gold took his cane and made his way to the door where Regina and Edith were.

"How did it go?" Regina asked. But when she took a look at Gold's face she could tell it wasn't pleasant. "Did something happen?" she knew all too well that something did. She could feel it in the air as Gold took his coat from the coat rack by the door.

"No trouble at all." Gold stated in a convincing way. But Regina wasn't convinced. She knew Gold had his way about things and figured this was not the time to ask any real questions.

"Good." She merely responded. She would ask Gold about this later as the Dark One took his leave. "Don't call me if you need a baby sitter again." he told her as he walked through the door.

Regina grumbled at the thought of him actually babysitting.

She shoved all thoughts aside for now and turned to Edith, "How about dinner?" She asked in a chipper tone.

Edith smiled and nodded wildly. "That would be amazing." She clasped her hands together.

Regina looked over to Coal who kept his distance from Regina and Edith. "How about it?" She asked.

Coal shrugged a little, "Sure." He turned and headed into the living room. Edith frowned at how distant Coal was being, but when she felt Regina's hand on her shoulder she turned with a bright smile.

"Wanna help?" Regina asked.

Edith nodded as she rushed off into the kitchen. Regina held back the small laugh as she watched Edith. She glanced back to the living room to see that Coal settled himself into the corner of the couch with a random book. She finished placing the rest of her stuff down before heading into the kitchen with Edith.

Later on that night a few hours after the lights were out Coal sat on the foot of his bed. His eyes gleamed in the darkness as he watched the clock before him. His elbows rested on his knees while his hands were folded on top of one another in front of his chin. Tonight could be the night that he found what they were looking for.

As soon as the clock struck twelve he heard his door slowly open. He looked up and felt a sigh of relief when he spotted Edith sneaking into his room. "Ready?" Coal asked as he got to his feet.

Edith nodded but Coal sensed that she was unsure of something. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Can't we just ask her?" Edith asked.

"You know why we can't do that." Coal frowned a little. As much as he wanted to just ask Regina, he knew why he couldn't. They already messed up a lot just by Emma and the others knowing about them even being there. He knew Edith knew the same reason, but he also knew how much their parents meant to his younger sister. Which was another reason why they had to do things this way.

Edith nodded as she held out her hand to Coal. Coal took her hand and gave her a small smile. "Once we have this we can defeat Morgana. We don't even know if mom and dad are still alive or not." He told her. "But once she is out of the way, we can be free to find out what happen to them." He tried to reassure her, but he was doubtful a bit himself.

Edith didn't say anything, she looked to the floor and just waited.

Coal wanted to bring the smile back to his sister's face, but knew he wouldn't be able to at this time. He waved his free hand and the two disappeared in a mist of purple and black.

They reappeared in the grave yard only ten feet or so away from Regina's vault.

They both looked at the vault for a minute before looking to one another. "Let's go." Coal told her as he took the first steps towards a place their mother held deep within her heart.


	12. Magic always comes with a price

Four figures road as fast as they could across the barren land. Once known as the Enchanted Forest was now nothing more than a land of war. Trees by the thousands were cut down for miles. Villages that covered the land burned to the ground. Those that survived made way to Regina's castle in hopes to find refuge.

People and creatures from across the realms were facing the same fate as the once beloved forest. Some already fallen to the hands of Morgana and her dark army, while others struggled just survive from past attacks.

These four riders were sent by their own king to help fight at the front lines along side with the one king known to hold his own against the dark magic user. Their blue coats trailed in the wind, embroidered with a white cross showing their allegiance to King Louis the 8th.

As they drew closer to Regina's castle they could easily pick out peasants and other enchanted creatures making do with what little they had. Building small homes to help shelter themselves from nature while others created weapons and armor for battle. Children of young ages had no time to play as they tried to help grow and gather food or even practice fighting with sticks or wooden weapons.

It was a sight of sadness to see the young learning to fight instead of having a childhood. But that was war. And war came with a price just like the dangerous magic their king and enemy used.

The four neared the gates, leaving their horses at the stables before making their way into the main hall of the castle. It broke their hearts to see an even deeper cut of war nestled in the walls of Regina's old castle.

Some of the wings were destroyed from bast battles, while other wings were used to help shelter more of the Enchanted Forest's people.

One of the riders stepped forward from the group. His deep brown eyes looked over the crushed souls before turning to his fellow riders. He brushed a hand through his wavy shaggy brown locks. "Looks like there will be plenty to do here." He continued to look about.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched a young girl walk into the main hall. Her hair long and black and her eyes golden brown. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail while her clothing was more light armor decorated in a dark fashion. In hand was a black steal pole with a thin black steal blade at each end.

The man tilted his head as she neared. She could not be more than fifteen or so, but she held a great confidence in her strides.

She walked right up to them and stopped three feet away from the group. She looked them over and smirked when the first rider bowed. "Princess Edith?" he asked.

Edith smiled. "And you four must be the warrior's King Louis sent." She gave a good solid nod back.

"Athos, at your service. Athos stood from his bow.

He motioned to a larger taller man who had little hair on his head and a beard to compensate. "Porthos." Athos introduced.

"Aramis" Athos continued to a slightly younger man with dashing good looks. Black hair that waved in his favor and young yet sturdy features.

"And our newest addition, D'artangnan." D'artangnan bowed to Edith. He could not be more than eighteen or nineteen, his features were young, even for his age, his eyes green and his light brown hair reached his shoulders.

"Together we are the four Musketeers." Athos stood tall as did the other three.

Edith was indeed happy to finally meet them. Even in this time of war, all the help they could get was never taken for granted.

"My brother King Coal is in the war room." She motioned for them to follow. They eyed one another before following the young princess towards the back hallways leading past the grand hall.

As they made their way towards the war room they noticed that the guards were slim. They saw more out and about among the peasant folk than those placed where the King would be. They were a bit taken back when they came to a set of double doors and found no guards. Edith opened the doors and let them walk into the room.

Coal stood with his back to the door as he looked over a large table that mapped out the Enchanted Forest and then some.

Coal was deep in thought as Edith and the others furthered into the room. His eyes trailed over Morgan's fortress and her army of dark creatures. She could easily take them out when ever she pleased, but for some reason never made such a great move. Something about that bothered Coal greatly to where it prevented him from sleeping from time to time.

She was toying with them and dragging it out... But for what? What were her motives and why did she attack them? She came from with a great force from no where. Quick to establish her ground and quick to attack. After their parents were out of the picture some hundred years ago, Morgana's attacks weren't so great. It was like she wanted them out of the way for something else.

"Brother?" Edith stepped forward. She walked next to Coal and looked to the table to see what he saw. She slowly looked back to Coal, "The four warriors sent by King Louis have arrived." she watched as Coal came back from his thoughts. She pointed to the four Musketeers. Coal looked over his shoulders at them. "I was told there were three." Coal turned around and looked the four over.

Porthos chuckled, "Call it a bonus." He laughed and smacked D'artangnan on the shoulder, making the younger Musketeer take half a step forward.

"He is young but he fights with a lion's heart." Athos assured Coal.

Coal pondered for a moment on the fourth addition. He glanced to Edith, "See to it that they are settled in. We have much work come morning." Coal turned back to the table as Edith looked to the four Musketeers. "This way." She started to make her way out of the war room.

Edith lead the group down the winding dark halls of the castle till she came to a decent sized room. "Sorry we don't have anything glamours to offer for the time being." She told them as she showed them to where they would be staying. "But I'm sure you will find well enough to do the job."

Aramis gave a slight bow to Edith, "I'm sure it shall be fine Princess." He stated before the four stepped into their quarters.

"Please let me know if there is anything we can do to make your stay welcome." She told them before taking her leave.

The four looked about before claiming a bed for their own.

"Did anyone find it strange?" Athos asked after a few minutes of silence

"That the King did not have his personal guards by his side?" Athos asked looking up from the bag he placed on his bed.

"Aye." Aramis agreed.

Porthos chuckled and shook his head, "He is young." Porthos dropped his large bag at the foot of his bed. "He probably has yet to understand that he needs protection in such a time."

D'artangnan took the last bed at the far back of the room and felt the urge to speak up. "I heard he is far older than what he looks." D'artangnan could recall many rumors about the Old King Coal and the forever ongoing war with Morgana.

"How old is he then?" asked Aramis. "Can't be older then anyone in the room." He added.

D'artangnan shrugged as he took off his cloak and placed it onto his bag. "The rumors on the streets say that he is over 200 years old." D'artangnan looked to the others and saw the silence in their voices.

Porthos was the first to break the small silence with a large deep laugh. "Tis a good joke." He turned to his things and he too took off his cloak.

Aramis and Athos glanced to one another. It could be just a rumor, or it could be true. They too had heard strange things about the young King, but they also heard that he was the reason for this war.

"Still does not explain why the lack of guards." Athos sat on the edge of his bed.

"Maybe there is more to this war then what was told." Aramis stated calmly.

The four felt the chill in the room as their thoughts wandered over this new land and what would become of the future here. There were still many questions that they only had rumors to answer with. Rumors served no help as the day fell to night and soon the kingdom and it's people would turn in for the night...

Edith sat on one of the boxes in Regina's vault as she watched Coal wander about in search for the item they were in need of. Her eyes would drift to the main entrance every now and again. "Do you think she knows that we left?" Edith asked.

Coal opened up a cabinet and ruffled through some of the bottles, "Not sure." He uttered. He closed the door and continued his search to one of the trunks on the floor by the far back wall.

"What if it's not here?" She watched as Coal dug through the stuff in the trunk.

"Then we continue searching until we find it." He added in a dull tone.

Edith let out a sigh as Coal left the trunk and headed across the room. They had been there for a good twenty minutes or so already and yet no luck. Edith was starting to wonder if the item was here or maybe somewhere else. Maybe it was already destroyed?

Coal came to a stop when his eyes locked onto a dark corner in a cabinet. He reached out slowly and grasped Cora's spell book.

"I found it." He whispered.

Edith perked up hearing his soft words.

Coal spun around and showed the book to Edith. A smile on his face clear as the full moon in the night sky.

Edith got up from where she was sitting and rushed over. "Grandma's spell book?" she took the book in her hands.

Coal nodded, "We finally have a fighting chance." Coal breathed.

Edith looked up to Coal and was quick to wrap her arms around him, "We did it!" she exclaimed. "We finally found it!" she jumped.

Coal laughed a little as he pulled from the hug and looked to the book. Edith held it out back to Coal, "Go on." She bit her bottom lip. "Open it." She hopped on her toes.

Coal took the book and a deep breath. He opened the book and started to slowly flip through the pages. His eyes eating up the words and pictures as his mind was quick to memorize what he could before turning to the next page.

Edith was never good with magic, nor did she have any. She had seen Coal preform magic thousands of times and had trailed over his spells and potions. But this type of magic seemed ancient compared to what they knew.

She glanced to Coal catching a child like look in his eyes at that very moment. She softly smiled knowing that it had been a long time since Coal had that look in his eyes. Ever since Morgana showed up Coal had lost something about him. The fun.

He became very serious very quickly and both Coal and Edith had to grow up rather quickly at such a young age. So to see her brother like this after hundreds of year brought a light of hope to their dark lives.

But the smile disappeared rather fast when her eyes caught something by the doors. Edith tapped Coal's shoulder rather rapidly.

"I know, it's all here." He uttered.

Edith cleared her throat and tapped again.

"With a little bit of practice..."

Edith placed both her hands on Coal's shoulders and spun him around to face Regina. Upon seeing Regina, Coal shut the book tightly. Letting the snap of the pages coming together break out into the room.

Regina stood in the archway with her eyes narrowed and her arms folded.

"Surprised?" Regina stated in a calm voice.

Both Edith and Coal felt their world freeze at this very moment. They had the book in hand and yet it could be taken away in seconds. Their future depended on this book. Coal gulped as he held onto the book tightly.

"A little." Coal kept his eyes on Regina. As Regina did the same to Coal.

Regina's eyes shifted to her mother's spell book and then back to Coal. What ever these two were after, it was in her mother's spell book. Regina took a step forward and unfolded her arms. Both Coal and Edith took a step back as Edith shadowed behind Coal and Coal grasped the book that much tighter.

Regina was not in the mood for games. She welcomed them into her home and now here they were sneaking off to her vault trying to steal something of hers. Her children or not her children, no one stole from her. She flipped her hand in an upward motion and a purple mist covered the book. The mist was there and gone in a second as the mist appeared around Regina's hand only to clear with her holding the spell book.

She saw anger strike Coal's eyes as he gritted his teeth and frowned his brow.

"You need this don't you?" she asked.

Coal didn't answer.

"Look, I'll make a deal with you." Regina started. "I'll give you this book, if, and only if... You answer my questions."

Coal thought about the offer and shifted his eyes back to Edith. Edith gave Coal a blank look as she felt that she didn't have the best of answers.

Coal turned back to Regina.

Regina smirked as she knew she had the two in the palm of her hand. They needed something from that book and she wouldn't just hand it over to them without getting something in return.

"You do know that all magic comes with a price." She stated in a cocky manner.


	13. A Heart to Heart

Regina held her mother's spell book in hand as she watched both Coal and Edith.

"If you want this book, you will answer my questions." She told them. She narrowed her eyes at Coal, "All of them." She added.

This was bad in Coal's eyes. If too much of the future was released, it could endanger their very existence. But if he wanted that book... He didn't just want it, he needed that book.

"What do you want to know?" Coal asked in a bitter tone.

Regina wasn't even sure where to start. There was a lot that she didn't know about them. She glanced to the book and then back to Coal, "Why do you need this book?" she asked. She figured that would be a good place to start.

Coal felt a little surprised at her first question. He figured she would have asked something more personal about her future. "There's a spell in there that we need." He told her.

"What spell and what do you need it for?" She asked.

Coal felt embarrassed about what spell he needed. "I need to learn how to take a heart." he eyed her a bit. "So I can defeat Morgana." The second half of his answer was voiced with determination and truth.

Regina felt a little confused when she noticed his reaction to her question. For her that spell was common, she had meet many that knew how to use that spell or imitate it with other objects. "And you think that's the answer?" she asked.

Coal squinted his eyes, "It's he only answer to this problem." He stated.

Regina looked from Coal to Edith. Edith still hid herself behind Coal as best as she could. "Who taught you magic?"

Coal smirked, the irony was in the full answer, but he only told her a part of it. "My parents."

Regina smirked back making the smirk on Coal's face slip away, "Who are your parents?"

The questions were escalating rather quickly. Coal looked to the book knowing that she wouldn't give it up unless he answered all of her questions. At the same time, he even wondered if she would give them the book. "How do I know you will give me the book after I answer all of your questions?" He asked.

Regina tilted her head, "You'll just have to trust me." She told him.

"You are." Edith spoke up.

Both Coal and Regina looked to Edith as she stepped out from behind her older brother. "You, are our mother." She added.

Coal looked back to Regina who didn't seem convinced about the answer. "Me or my other half?" Regina asked.

There was more to this question than just a simple answer. "It's a long story." Edith looked to Coal.

Coal licked his lips as he pondered on the thought. "Queen Regina and Robin did lead happy lives. Upon the first attack from Morgana... They..." Coal took in a breath before releasing it, "They didn't make it." He looked to her.

Regina blinked at this. "So you're telling me that my other half and Robin died at the hands of this Morgana?"

Edith and Coal nodded. "It happened a few years before I was born." Coal told her.

"And who is your father?" Regina took a step closer.

"I can't tell you that." Coal admitted.

Regina twisted her lips and frowned her brows, "Why not?"

"Because," Coal stated to answer when the tomb shook roughly, almost knocking them all off their feet.

"What the hell was that?" Regina asked as she got her stance back.

"Morgana." Coal hissed as Edith tugged on his arm to help him up from the floor.

Coal looked to Edith and gave her a nod. Edith smirked as she let go of Coal and reached to her belt where a thin piece of black steel could be found. She pulled it off and with a flick of her arm the steel extended into a long thin pole with thin black steel blades at each end. She headed for the door with Coal in toe.

Regina was quick to step in front of the two blocking their way. "You both are not going out there." She pointed to them.

"We have fought Morgana many of times, what's so different about this time?" Coal asked in a bitter tone.

Regina was offended by this for some reason. "I'll handle this." She told them.

"She'll kill you." Coal snapped.

Anger showed on Regina's face as she leaned forward towards them, "I would love to see her try." Sh stated before turning on her heels and headed for the entrance. she spun back around just as Edith and Coal went to follow her and waved her hand. A fade of magic drifted down the archway. Coal looked at the archway and then to Regina. "You can't take her on your own." He told her. He looked back to the barrier Regina placed up. He knew he could take it down, but that would take some time.

Regina smirked, "You underestimate me." she said as she turned to leave. As she left the vault Regina waved a hand over Cora's spell book. The book disappeared in a purple fog, showing Regina that the book would be well hidden for now.

Regina stepped outside of the vault and into the foggy graveyard. Her eyes scanned the area in hopes to find Morgana. It didn't take her long to find the masked witch. Morgana stood some distance away. Her clothing hadn't changed since the first time they meet. The white mask still covered her face and her long black wavy hair even stood out in the darkness that covered the world.

Regina couldn't refuse the angered look on her face as she stood her ground by the vault doors. "What do you want?" She demanded to the masked witch.

Morgan only tilted her head to the Evil Queen. Her silence made Regina ball her hands into fists.

Regina wondered if Morgana was after the same thing as Coal. Did she too not know how to take a heart? Or was she after something else? "You will answer, even if I have to burn it out of you." Regina opened a hand and a flame gathered around her fingers.

Coal looked at the barrier and frowned a bit. He knew most of his mother's magic, but there were pieces missing from his studies with her. Not to mention that his magic held a different structure than Regina's.

Edith held onto her weapon eagerly. "Well?" she asked.

"I'm thinking." Coal responded rather quickly.

Edith grumbled, "Think faster, that's mom out there with Morgana." She almost barked.

Coal took a few steps back and around the room in hopes to find something that could help speed up the process of taking down the barrier. He hated the fact that nothing struck his attention enough to be helpful. He looked back to the arch way. He would have to use his own magic to try and take it down, but this would still take some time... Time they did not have if their mother was really facing off Morgana.

He held up his hands and a black and purple stream of fog stretched out from his hands to the center of the barrier.

Morgana stood quietly as she watched Regina. "If you think you're gonging to get your hands on that spell book you're wrong." Regina narrowed her eyes. She didn't mention Coal or Edith for a reason as she hoped to get a response from Morgana. She made the right choice as Morgana laughed at Regina's words.

Morgana ended her laugh with a small chuckle before speaking, "I'm not here for a lesson in magic your Majesty." She chuckled a little more.

"Then what is it that you want?" Regina kept her words calm but strong.

Morgana made sure not to laugh as she locked eyes with Regina, "Long live the King." she mocked in some twisted way.

Regina wasn't sure how to take those words, but had a feeling that Morgana was more focused on Edith and Coal than her mother's spell book. "What do you want with them?" Regina demanded.

Regina watched as Morgana opened up both hands in front of her and a green and black mist swirled around them. She held them to the sky and looked up. The mist drifted from her hands to the sky above.

Regina whipped her hands into motion and sent balls of fire at Morgana. Morgana vanished before the fire struck her. This also stopped the green and black mist from connecting with the sky.

Morgana reappeared to the right of Regina, still keeping her distance. Regina was quick to spot her. She went to send more fire, but Morgana pointed back to where she once stood.

Regina's eyes drew wide upon seeing stones falling from the sky and gathering together. As they gathered they started to make a form of a large rock body. Regina had seen a lot of magic, but this was a little different from anything she had seen as a rock giant now stood dangerously close to where she was.

Once the rock giant was formed it too in a deep breath and leaned forward releasing a loud battle cry. She could feel the cold wind from the cry force her to take a step back, and the flames around her hands blew out.

Morgana leaned against a tree and crossed her arms. She looked to her nails on one of her hands as she casually watched Regina.

Regina leap out of the way as the rock giant rushed a fist down to the ground. If Regina didn't move she would have been crushed by the shear force of the attack.

Her heart raced and her breath quickened as she pushed herself off the ground. Once back on her feet she threw a large amount of fire at the rock giant. She felt uneasy when her fire did no such damage to the rock giant.

"Are you done yet?!" Edith narrowed her eyes.

Coal gritted his teeth as he continued to take down the barrier. "You're not helping Edith." He stated as he tried to speed up the process.

Edith huffed as she turned back to the barrier and waited. She looked up when she heard a loud booming sound coming from above. "Come on Coal!" She yelled.

Coal grumbled as he pushed harder at the barrier in hopes to just break it. He continued to push as his hands started to turn black. Edith noticed this and regretted her words very quickly. She knew what the black meant, and knew that Coal was using a lot of magic to take down the barrier. But if they wanted to help keep their mother safe from Morgana, they couldn't waist any time.

The barrier finally cracked leaving Coal almost out of breath. Edith turned to Coal, Coal pointed to the door, "Go." He told her as he placed a hand on the table in the middle of the room. "I'll be fine." He added as he tried to catch his breath.

Edith didn't waist another minute as she rushed out of the vault.

Just as Regina realized that her fire magic wasn't any help, Edith rushed out of the vault. "Hey Ugly!" She called out.

The rock giant turned to face Edith as Edith spun her double bladed staff. She stopped in a fighting stance as she locked eyes onto her target. "How about a fair fight?" Edith took no time in dashing towards the rock giant.

She pushed herself off the ground and fast into the air. She flipped over the rock giant and landed right behind him. With a spin of her staff she ran one of the blades at the back of the giant's legs, making the monster buckle in his knees and fall to one.

"Ice him!" Edith called to Regina.

The rock giant turned around and swung a large fist down towards the warrior princess. Just as Edith rolled out of the way, Regina shot a stream of light blue mist at the giants fist.

When the fist hit the ground, mixed with the ice now freezing the stone, the fist shattered into a thousand pieces.

While Regina and Edith were distracted by the rock giant Morgana vanished, only to reappear right in front of Coal, just as Coal was about to head up to the fight.

Coal quickly stopped and backed up as much as he could from the witch. "Morgana." He hissed through his teeth.

She watched him with calm eyes as if she knew him. Coal had seen this look many of times from previous battles. His heart raced in his chest as he kept his eyes locked on her every move. She started to move towards him and immediately Coal backed away from her.

Edith raised up her staff in the air, "Enchant it!" She called to Regina as the rock giant's fist started to gather. The giant got to his feet and moved towards Edith.

Regina gathered a light blue mist in her hands and without hesitating she threw it right at Edith's weapon. The spell hit and locked in with the staff just in time before the giant struck again.

Edith rushed towards the giant as he brought both fists down quickly. He just missed her as she used the impact to force herself forward and right to the giant's chest. She trusted the staff up and struck the giant right where it's heart could be found.

The giant quickly turned to ice from the center of it's chest. Edith yanked her staff from the giant's chest only to flip it around a few times, gathering momentum before swinging hard towards the giant's neck.

Coal found himself backed against a wall and Morgana inches away from him. Her eyes still locked with his as he felt cornered. Breaking the barrier took more out of him than he had expected. Sparks of electricity trailed around his finger tips only briefly. From his hands to his wrists were still covered in black he knew he wouldn't be able to do much at this very moment.

Without warning Coal felt a sharp pain from his chest. Morgana rushed her hand to his heart and grasped it inside his chest. Coal let out a cry of pain and gritted his teeth. His eyes went wide as his brows frowned. He grasped at her her arm in hopes to remove her hand.

Morgana went to pull his heart out, only to discover that something was preventing her from doing so.

Coal pressed his back against the wall, still holding onto Morgana's arm.

Morgana pulled again only to get another cry of pain from Coal. She tried again and again, getting angered and more aggressive as she failed to remove his heart each time.

Coal heard a hiss come from the witch, "What's the matter?" He huffed. "Can't steal my heart?" he question as he lost his breath again.

Morgana gave Coal a cold dark look as she pulled once more, this time pulling him away from the wall and throwing him to the ground. She had to released her grip on his heart and stood over him.

Coal hit the ground hard feeling a much greater pain still in his chest. He pushed himself to his side to look back to Morgana. Morgana knelled down on one knee and leaned down to Coal. "I'll have your heart one way or another." she whispered in his ear.

As the rock giant shattered after Edith chopped off it's head Regina looked from the frozen rubble to where Morgana once was. She quickly looked about trying to find her. Edith looked to the rubble to make sure it wouldn't regain it's form. Satisfied the the giant wasn't gathering back together she turned to Regina.

She too started to look about already knowing what her other was looking for. She shot back to Regina, "Where's Coal?" Regina asked.

Edith felt her heart sink in her chest as she rushed towards the vault. Without getting a clear answer Regina already had the same idea as Edith. She too rushed back into the vault as fast as she could.

Just as they arrived to the scene, the first thing they saw was Morgana being shocked back into the wall and Coal still on the ground.

Morgana hit hard, making some of the shelves break while items fell to the floor. She hunched over and rose up a hand with a green glow only to be shot back by Regina's fire. Morgana slammed into another wall and the green glow disappeared.

Edith quickly stood over Coal and readied herself for yet another fight.

Morgana regained her stance before waving a hand and disappearing in a green and black smoke.

Edith held her stance and looked about the room, making sure the witch didn't just change her position in the room. When the coast was clear Edith quickly turned to Coal.

"I'm fine." Coal stated before anyone could ask. He tried to push himself off the ground only to feel that shark pain in his chest. Edith was quick to his side on the ground. "Don't move." She told him while placing a hand to his shoulder.

As Regina watched Edith and Coal she started to get an idea as to what... Or more like whom Morgana was after. more questions ran through her mind as she still didn't fully understand what was going on. Who was Morgana and what did she want with her son?


	14. Late Night Coco

Regina leaned against the door frame to Coal's room as Edith and Coal sat on Coal's bed.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Edith asked as she looked him over.

Coal gave her a soft smile and nodded. "I'll be fine." He told her.

Edith still frowned at his words. She had heard them more times than she could count and knew that more than half of them were just to try and comfort her worry. This time she was extremely worried. In all their battles no matter how close Morgana had gotten to Coal in battle, was she ever able to take his heart. Before now they had never even see it done before.

Both Coal and Morgana had the magic to do it, but Edith only figured that neither knew how. Well she most defiantly knew that Coal couldn't, but Morgana never, in all their years, was able to either. "How do you think she was able to do that?" Edith asked.

Coal shook his head. He was curious about the same thing. Morgana had many chances in the past, well their past to take his heart like so, but she never did.

Regina squinted her eyes as the two spoke. She was quick to place a few things together. Mostly at the fact that probably in the future no one knew how to take hearts.

"Come on Edith." Regina motioned to the younger sibling. "Let's let Coal get some rest." She added.

Edith nodded before turning back to Coal. She reached out and wrapped both arms around him tightly in a large hug. Coal patted her back before she pulled away and got up from the side of his bed.

"Are you sure you're ok?" She asked as she got to her feet.

Coal gave her a solid nod. "I'll be fine." He reassured her.

Edith gave him a forced smile before turning to leave with Regina.

Once out of the room, Regina slowly closed Coal's bedroom door. She turned to Edith, "How about some hot coco?" she asked.

Edith blinked and tilted her head, "Hot coco?" She asked.

Regina smiled and laughed a little. "You're gonna like it, I promise." She told her as she lead the way downstairs and to the kitchen.

As late as it was, Regina felt wide awake. As she poured tow cups of hot coco, she could recall all the times she had done the same for Henry. Especially when he couldn't sleep, or just needed some comfort. She smiled as she watched the cups fill up, only to glance up to see Edith watching her with bright eyes. She was curious, very curious. Even for someone who lived over a few hundred years, she found it comforting that Edith still had that spark of life. When you're young, the world is new and full of life and joy.

"So you never had hot coco before?" Regina broke the silence.

Edith shook her head.

Regina smiled, "I use to make this for Henry when he was younger." She told Edith. As Regina thought on the matter she realized that ever since Henry hit high school, she hadn't really made him hot coco in a hot minute. Her heart hurt from the thought. She really did miss those little moments.

He was still around and well enough in her life as much as she was in his, but Henry was growing up and almost graduating from high school.

Regina placed the finishing touches on the hot coco with a small sprinkle of cinnamon before sliding a cup to Edith. "It's hot to be careful." She warned her.

Edith took the cup and gave Regina a light smile as she blew onto the hot liquid. She took a sip and her eyes light up. She looked to Regina as if the woman just unlocked a world of secrets to her. "My goodness." She stated before taking a larger sip from the cup.

Regina couldn't stop the smile on her face as she watched Edith take a few more sips. "I'm guessing they don't have things like this where you're from." Regina swung and hit a home run as Edith shook her head no rapidly. "Nothing comes close to this." She told her.

Regina's smile slowly left her face as she wanted to ask Edith her next question, but wondered if it was a good idea or not. "What is the future like?" She decided to ask.

Edith looked up from her hot coco and the smile ran away from her face. She frowned placing the cup on the kitchen island they were both sitting at. She knew what Coal told her, about not sharing too much of the future, but... "War." She looked to her cup as she took in a small breath. "it's been like that for as long as I can remember." She looked up to Regina with a serious yet sad look. "We were all once happy... But it didn't last very long." She told her.

Regina felt bad for Edith. Before Regina could respond Edith continued.

"All... Of the realms are at war with Morgana." Edith told her. "Supplies are rare, villages burned to the ground... The forest..." Edith looked to her cup and turned the cup a little as she thought. "Tonight was nothing compared to Morgana's real magic."

Regina narrowed her eyes at this. "What is her real magic like?" Regina dared to ask.

Edith wished she had a clear answer to give Regina, but Morgana's magic was indeed unique. "She can raise armies of monsters and magical creatures." Edith felt a confused look on her face. "She can create storms... It's kind of difficult to explain." Edith confessed.

Regina held a concerned look as she nodded to the young girl.

"Why was the war started?" Regina tilted her head.

Edith shrugged, "No one really knows." She admitted. "I mean, she made smaller attacks throughout the years long before me and Coal were born, but she didn't really attack until Coal was ten and I was eight." She looked to Regina.

Regina found this just as confusing as Edith did. What was Morgana's intentions? What was the cause of such a war. Regina still had no real idea as to how bad the war was, but she held a great idea of it. After seeing Edith fight... "Who taught you how to fight?" She asked.

A small smile came to Edith's lips. "My father." she told her one day to be mother.

For some reason this made Regina smile too. She was very curious as to who their father could be. Regina went to speak and Edith cut her off. "I can't tell you." She smiled yet frowned at the same time. "If I did, you might never meet him or you meet him too soon." Edith looked to her almost empty cup.

"What can you tell me?" Regina asked.

"I'm actually not suppose to say anything really. Coal said it could disrupt the future." She told Regina.

Regina understood that part, but she felt like something very big was missing from the story. "Have you ever seen Morgana's face?" Regina asked as she finally took a sip from her cup of hot coco.

Edith shook her head. "Not even Coal has, and trust me, if anyone has gotten close to seeing her face it's him."

"What does that mean?" Regina narrowed and frowned her brows.

"Most of the fights with Morgana, she always targets Coal." Edith let out a sigh. "Similar to tonight, but on a much larger scale." She flicked her brows up before finishing up her cup.

Regina twisted her lips at this. "So she only really targets Coal?" Regina asked.

Edith nodded as she looked into her now empty cup.

Without even double thinking, Regina took the pot off the stove that still had a little bit of coco left in it and poured it into Edith's cup. after placing the pot back on the stove she picked up her own cup and took a sip as she placed more of the puzzle together. it was more confusing now than ever. What did Morgana want with Coal? And if she was making attacks long before they were even born? It didn't make sense.

"Coal's magic?" she questioned without even looking at Edith. Edith looked up a bit taken back from the incomplete question. "What about it?"

Regina pressed the tip of her tongue to her back molar. "How did he get it? Where did he learn it from?" She asked.

Edith felt like the answer was obvious. "He was born with it. You and father taught him how to use his magic too. Its more like a combination of your magic and fathers." Edith double explained her answer making sure things were clear.

"Like half of his magic is mine and the other half is your fathers?" Regina tilted her head.

Edith nodded and shook her head quickly. "Well it's yours and fathers." she shrugged.

"What about you?" Regina asked. "What about your magic?"

Edith laughed, "I wasn't born with magic."

This greatly confused Regina. "So only Coal has magic?"

Edith nodded. "It's ok though really." Edith smirked, "After all I did get the brains and the beauty." She laughed a little.

Regina rolled her eyes with a large smile at this. "And the sense of humor too." Regina added onto the list.

Edith looked to her empty cup and then back to Regina, "It's getting late." She told her.

Regina nodded before picking up Edith's empty cup.

Edith slowly got up from her chair as she watched Regina head over to the sink with the empty cup and the empty pot. Edith watched her back for a minute before rushing over and wrapping her arms around Regina.

Regina was beyond surprised at Edith's sudden hug. She didn't reject it, instead she turned around and returned the hug.

"Good night mom." Edith almost whispered.

Regina felt her heart freeze for a moment at Edith's words. "Good night... Edith." Regina looked down to find a smiling tired face. "I'll see you in the morning." Regina added before Edith removed herself from the hug and headed up stairs.

Regina watched her leave and once out of sight Regina felt her knees become weak. She had only been called mom by Henry, but hearing it from Edith... She felt her heart pound in her chest. She smiled as she regained her stature and continued washing the dishes. The thought of having Edith as a daughter warmed her soul inside and out. The girl was not only skilled in battle, but she was sweet and loving. It brought a smile to her face just thinking about her.

Regina narrowed her eyes and frowned her brows when Coal popped into her mind. He wasn't very trusting like Edith. In fact he was the opposite. She felt that he was suck up and arrogant. She shook her head. He probably got that from his father's side.

Once the kitchen was clean Regina made her way up the stairs to her room. She stopped at the end of the hall and looked down towards Edith and Coal's rooms. Just looking down the hall, knowing that two of her children were there sound asleep made her wonder more about the future. They grew up knowing nothing but war...

She frowned deeply before turning to her own room and heading off to bed. It was hard for her to sleep, but eventually she did.

She only hoped that the next morning would bring some better light into the situation.


	15. The Magic Man

Clouds rolled into the night sky, smothering the light. The rain dropped from the sky, starting in a light drizzle. A tall dark figure stepped upon the hollow ground of Storybrooke. His black leather jacket stood out in the darkness, with a red scarf tucked around and under the leather. His jet black hair was slicked back, giving away his features.

His deep dark eyes scanned the graveyard as he took in a deep and long breath through his nose. He could smell the magic that played out here only a short while ago. He leaned on his slender black cane before taking another step.

The rain continued to fall as he strolled past gravestone after gravestone. He stopped at the main door of Regina's tome. He licked his teeth as he looked it over. He held up a hand and slowly moved it forward. He pulled his hand back as soon as he felt the barrier. He rose a brow as he looked from his hand back to the tome.

Thunder rumbled in the black sky, making the man look up. He already knew what brought him here, but the world around hi told him that what he was looking for... Had already left this place.

He slipped a hand into his pocket as his other hand gripped at his cane. He would find this person... And he would not be merciful to them either.

Lightning stuck where he stood and with the flash he was gone. Only a burnt pair of foot prints left in the grass.

Regina woke up the next morning to hear the rain tapping at her window. She rolled out of bed and headed to her window. Peeking out from the curtains she could see the light grey clouds just wanting to get darker. A steady drizzle with the sound of thunder rolling off in the distance.

She brushed her hair back behind her ears as she continue to watch the rain fall. So much has happened in the past few weeks. Some good and some... Not so great.

Regina let out a sigh before finally stepping away from the window. A short time later she found herself in the kitchen making breakfast. She looked over what she had already made and what she was still cooking.

This made her think of her and Henry. Before she would only cook for two people, now she was cooking for three. She smiled a bit at the amount of food before her. Already she felt confident in her skills, but more so to the portions she had to accommodate. Edith loved her food and if she didn't make enough she only figured the girl would stave.

Regina looked up when she heard someone come down the stairs. She was a bit surprised that it was Coal and not Edith. Normally Edith would be up first.

"Good morning." Regina smiled.

Coal gave her an off putting look.

Regina laughed to herself as she already knew he was not a morning person. She happen to like her mornings, so she guessed he got this from his father's side.

She looked up at him and started to once more question their father. She still had a hard time even accepting the fact that she would one day be able to have kids.

"How are you feeling?" She asked giving him a concerned look.

Coal took a seat at the island in the kitchen and looked up to her. Tired and worn out was written all over his face. "Tired." He stated bluntly.

Regina gave him a soft smile as she watched him. "I hope you like bacon and eggs." she turned back to her cooking. She glanced up to notice that she had stirred his attention a bit.

He looked from the food to her and nodded slowly.

Regina liked that he was interacting with her, but she felt a hole in her heart when he didn't really answer her. She felt connected with Edith, but Coal was so distant and quiet. It was like she had to bribe him to open up to her, or hold something ransom.

She turned back to her cooking as the room became ever so much quiet. She frowned ot herself as she stirred the eggs making sure they didn't burn.

"If I could I would." Coal spoke up as he watched her.

Regina blinked. "If you could what?" she asked.

Coal diverted his eyes as he looked around the room. "If there wasn't a risk of changing things... I would have answered your questions." He told her.

Regina didn't know how to take this. His voice sounded comforting and calm. Like truth was actually coming out of the little liar.

"Well, we'll just have to do with what we can for now." She told him as she placed the cooked eggs onto three plates.

"That's not enough." He pointed to one of the plates.

Regina looked confused at his words.

"Just dump as much as you can on Edith's plate." He pointed to the plate with more food on it.

Regina shook her head a bit, "How can a small girl eat so much?" she asked as she emptied the rest of the eggs onto Edith's plate.

Coal smirked, "To be fair... Even I don't know the answer to that question." He laughed a little.

Regina had to pause in what she was doing as she had never really heard Coal laugh. "Are you laughing?" she asked.

Coal's face quickly shot back to dull and uninterested. "No." He quickly stated back.

Regina smirked to herself as she couldn't get the sound of his laugh out of her head. "You laughed." She turned to place the dishes in the sink.

"I don't laugh." Coal argued.

Regina looked over her shoulder to him and smiled.

"I figured me and you could go over my mother's book today." she turned back to the dishes. She had to peek over her shoulder in hopes to catch a once in a life time reaction. She wasn't wrong as Coal sat up in his chair.

"Really?" he asked.

Regina nodded before turning back to the center island. "If you're gonna learn that spell... You're gonna need a teacher." She told him as she dried her hands.

Coal blinked, "You're serious?" He asked baffled at her words.

Regina placed the cloth down and looked at him dead in the eyes. "I am."

Coal studied her as he became cautious. "What's the catch?" he asked.

"No catch." Regina shrugged.

Coal narrowed his eyes. "There's always a catch." He stated.

Regina rolled her eyes as she picked up two of the plates, "There's no catch." she told him a second time as she headed for the dinning room.

Coal picked up the third plate and followed her. He placed the plate down next to the two Regina placed on the table. "You really mean it?" he asked.

Regina placed a hand on her hip and gave him a serious look. "I do." She stated before heading back to the kitchen.

Coal stayed back at the table as he watched her.

"The table doesn't set itself." She called from the kitchen.

Coal was quick to move and headed back to the kitchen.


	16. The Magic Man, Part 2

Coal looked to Regina with wide eyes as she handed him her mother's spell book. Coal took the book and still gave Regina a very quizzical look.

"What? I promise there are no strings attached." She told him holding her hands up in defense.

Coal took in a small breath as he turned to the book. He placed a hand on the cover before slowly opening it. He stopped when Regina placed a hand over his. He looked up to her and found a worried look in her eyes.

Regina had her eyes on the book for a moment. She looked to Coal and forced a smile.

Regina could recall teaching Henry magic. Being able to do that again made a shiver run up her spine. It was like teaching Henry magic for the first time.

"Sorry." Regina took her hand back quickly.

This left Coal speechless.

Regina cleared her throat as she regained her stature. She noticed that Coal had his eyes locked on her as she did so. "Ready?" she asked with a gentle smile.

Coal slowly nodded.

Edith hid behind the door frame as she watched the two intensively. She squeaked a bit when both Coal and Regina turned to the book.

But both looked up when they heard her squeak.

"How long have you been there?" Coal asked shutting the book quickly.

Edith tried to hide herself behind the wall as best as she could. "Not long." She squeaked again.

"Liar." Coal stated.

Edith revealed herself from behind the wall and sighed roughly, "Maybe a few minutes." She didn't make eye contact.

Coal scrunched his face and narrowed his eyes at her. "I know when you're lying." Coal pointed out.

Edith let her shoulders drop as she dramatically dropped onto Regina's bed. "You caught me!" she whined.

Coal rolled his eyes and shook his head at Edith.

Regina couldn't recall ever seeing the two fight or get mad with one another. This side of them told her that they were still children in a lot of ways, despite how old they claimed to be.

"She can join us." Regina stated.

Edith tumbled off the bed and rushed over to her, wrapping her arms tightly around Regina. "Mom said I can." She gave Coal a snarky look.

Coal just looked angered.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Regina asked Coal.

Coal gave her a very dull look and rose a brow at her.

* * *

Uther made his way slowly down the main street of Storybrooke. His eyes wondered as a joyful smile stuck to his face. As he passed others, he would greet them and watch them as they walked by. His eyes set on a small diner not too far out from where he was.

The rain still continued to fall, but he payed no mind to it. Instead he seemed to enjoy the rain.

He made his way into Granny's restaurant and immediately spotted a few things. A sly smirk came to his face as he made his way to the bar.

"What can I get ya?" Granny asked as she pulled out her note pad and pen from her white hair.

Uther looked to her and folded his arms on the counter as he leaned in. "Coffee if you don't mind." he told her.

He glanced over his shoulder and turned back to her just as she was walking away. "And a slice of apple pie." He smiled.

Granny nodded and went about getting his order. Leaving him to look about at the other customers. Within seconds his eyes locked onto a girl in the back corner. She was young, had fair pale skin and long black hair, which she had placed up into a careless bun.

He looked back to Granny when she placed his order in front of him. Uther pulled out his wallet and placed a large bill on the counter. "Keep the change." He winked at her as he picked up his coffee and pie. He slipped from the bar stool and made his way to the back corner where the young girl sat.

Placing his coffee and pie down, he took the seat right across from her in the booth she was quietly sitting in.

The girl was startled and had to fix her thin black framed glasses. She looked to Uther with large green eyes before looking around the restaurant. "I'm sorry.. Do I know you?" The girl asked as she watched him take a sip from his coffee.

Uther fluttered his brows at her and smiled brightly. He placed his cup down and leaned back in his chair.

"You wont remember me, but we do." he told her.

The girl frowned and sunk in her chair. "How?" She asked.

Uther still held a large smile on his face as he leaned forward. "I know for a fact that you can't remember who you are." he told her.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him.

"No matter how many times you have lost your memories... You will always be a mystery to yourself." He tilted his head. "So what name do you go by these days?" he picked up his cup and took another sip.

The girl looked down to her books that almost covered the table. She started to shut them quickly but stopped when the man placed a hand over hers. He shook his head at her. "You wont find your story in those." He picked one up.

The girl gulped at Uther's words. "How do you know about my story?" she asked.

Uther smirked as he shuffled through the books, finding one that seemed interesting. "The sword in the stone... what a classic tale." He opened the book. He looked back to the girl. "To bad they never got anything right." he shrugged as he dropped the book on the table.

He looked over the other books and waved his hand nonchalantly. "But then again... They never really did get any of them right now did they?" he asked.

"Katie is this man bothering you?" Granny asked as she stormed over to the table.

Katie looked from Granny to Uther.

"Old friends." Uther smirked.

Granny wasn't buying it. "I think you should leave." Granny crossed her arms over her chest.

Uther looked from Granny to Katie. "Do you want me to leave Katie?" he asked.

Katie sunk further into her chair, "Yes, please." She almost whispered.

Uther thinned his lips before nodding. He stood up and picked up his coffee. He downed the cup and took a bite from his pie. "Well then... I guess it's time for me to go." He stated as he waved his hand and his cane appeared with a pop.

"We'll have to play catch up another time." He told Katie.

He looked to Granny and gave her a nod. "Have a pleasant day." he walked past Granny and headed for the door.

Granny watched him leave before turning back to Katie. "You let me know if anyone is bothering you." She pointed to the young girl.

Katie nodded slowly. "I will." She fixed her glasses a bit.

Uther continued on his way, heading across the street to another famous landmark of Storybrooke. He glanced back at Granny's restaurant before heading into Gold's shop.


	17. Silver and Gold

Gold looked up at the sound of the bell ringing. He touched his tongue to his back molar when he saw a tall man walk in. He had never seen this man before, so he was cautious. The Dark One never had to be, but when it came to strangers, he still needed to take his time.

"May I help you?" Gold asked as he slowly and casually packed up the items on his desk away. With recent events he didn't need strangers knowing what he was doing.

The man flicked his cane as he wondered around the store, looking at all the strange and unusual items Gold had collected through his life.

"I hear you are the one to go to, if someone like me... Wanted to find someone." Uther stated as he slowly turned his attention to the Dark One.

"A tracking spell." Gold tilted his head curiously. "And who would you be looking for exactly?"

Uther finally made his way to the front counter, giving Gold a sly and devious smirk. "Does it matter?" he asked.

Gold returned the facial expression, "What if is does?"

Uther bit his lower lip as his eyes wandered about once more. He paused and looked back to Gold, making sure his eyes were locked with the Dark One. He leaned on the counter and picked up an item, inspecting it as he brought it into the light. "Or you can just track this person for me and then tell me where he or she might be." His words didn't sound like a question, but a demand in a calming tone.

Gold reached out and took the item from Uther. "Or you can tell me who they are. And Then! i might help you find them." Gold raised a finger.

Uther frowned that Gold took the item from him, but smiled all the same. "To be honest.. From one dark magic user to the other... I don't know who they are." Uther placed both hands on the counter and leaned on them.

Gold rose a brow. "And why would you need to find this person?" he asked.

Uther mimicked the expression, "They are using something of mine." He stated in a deep dull tone. "Something that no one else should even know about." He twisted his lips as he once more looked about.

Gold shook his head. "Unless you know who they are or have something of theirs, I can not help you." Gold stated.

Uther looked back to Gold and smiled.

This made Gold's stomach turn. No one was ever happy after Gold turned them away. But this guy...

"I'm sure we can work something out..." Uther smirked.

Uther's words made Gold cringe for some reason. He was not the kind of man that would be scared by anything, but for some reason this man made his hair stand on ends.

Without warning Uther flicked his cane and shoved it towards Gold. A force flung Gold back and up against the wall. His feet far from the ground as the force pinned him there. With another wave of his cane Gold's hands out stretched and were locked into place. Now, Gold had to look down at Uther as the man laughed a little and made his way around the counter.

"You have no idea who you're messing with." Gold warned.

Uther looked surprised for a second, "Should I be worried?" he asked raising both brows. Another smirk came to his lips as he strolled towards Gold.

"Now... I am looking for someone... And you... Are going to help me find them." Uther stated as he looked Gold up and down.

Gold hissed through his teeth as he tried to look Uther in the eyes, but the force was so strong that he could not move his head.

"I shall do no such thing." Gold sneered.

Uther chuckled. "You don't have to comply for this part." He smiled.

Gold watched what he could as Uther reached out his hand and placed the palm of his hand on the center of Gold's forehead.

He closed his eyes and within a second, both felt a jolt of energy flow through them.

What felt like hours and days, was merely seconds.

Gold couldn't explain what just happen. His mind raced like a jack rabbit and ran wild with memories. Most focusing on recent events.

Uther took a step back and narrowed his eyes. "Thank you for giving me what I was looking for." Uther placed his cane next to him as he turn around to leave.

The force that once held Gold released dropping the Dark One to his knees. "No one..." Gold grumbled as he slowly got to his feet.

Uther spun around with a quizzical look on his face.

"No one, steals from Rumpelstiltskin!" Gold hissed.

Uther smirked with amusement. "Bitch, you just got robbed." He stated as he opened his arms.

Gold twisted his hands before flicking his wrist at Uther. A green ball of fire shot from his hands and zipped across the room.

Uther couldn't help the smile on his face as he took a half step into the attack and waved his hand with ease. The green ball immediately snapped back and fired back at Gold.

Gold was not expecting this, but with a quick snap, he made the green ball disappear.

"Is that all you got?" Uther asked. A hint of disappointment in his voice, but the smile still stood.

Gold gritted his teeth as he snarled at Uther.

Uther held his hand in front of his face looking it over. The black started from his fingers and slowly started to trickle down his skin to his wrist and arm. "You may be the all powerful Dark One..." Uther looked past his hand to Gold. He took note of Gold's surprised reaction. "But I... am Uther.. Pendragon."

Killian walked with Regina through her house to the back door. He looked around noticing that he didn't see their little time travel friends anywhere. "Why am I here again?" He asked as Regina opened the back door.

"You are here, because we need to practice something and you are just the pirate for the job." Regina smiled.

Killian gave her a dull look as his tongue touched the back of his molar. "So a glorified guinea pig?"

"And you owe me one." Regina forced a smile as she stepped into the backyard.

And there they were. "The glutton and the cheater." Killian nodded in displeasure.

"I thought we could practice out here since it stopped raining." Regina stated. She also wanted them to get out of the house a bit. Edith had already been to Granny's, but Coal hasn't really left the house... Except to try and steal her mother's book.

"So what now?" Killian asked as he tried to keep his eyes on Edith and Coal.

"Now... We see if Coal can take your heart from your body." Regina folded her hands in front of her.

"See what?" Killian asked, turning to Regina and blinking wildly. "You want him." Killian pointed to Coal. "To take my heart out?" He then pointed to himself. "From my body?" He had to add.

Regina nodded, "Yes." She tried to make her smile very much convincing as possible.

"There is no way in hell I'm gonna let that cheater of a child go near My heart." He told her.

"I promise nothing bad will happen." She tried to explain.

Killian shook his head, "Nope." He turned to leave. But Regina grabbed his hand.

"Please... He needs the practice." She told him.

"Practice for what? Taking over all of Storybrooke?" Killian motioned to Coal.

Coal and Edith slowly made their way over to them. "You can do that with one heart?" Coal asked.

Regina shrugged, "Depends on the person really." She told him.

"You're encouraging this?!" Killian shouted. He was just down right shocked.

"We have our reasons." She folded her arms over her chest.

"Like what?" he asked looking to each of them.

"Like taking Morgana's heart." Coal spoke up.

Killian froze at the thought. "And you think that could work?" He asked looking to Regina and Coal.

"If Coal or myself can get a hold of her heart, we can stop her." Regina informed Killian. "But Coal needs practice." She looked over to Coal. "He's having a bit of a hiccup." she shrugged.

Killian looked to Regina and then to Coal, looking him up and down. "What kind of a hiccup?" he asked.

"He can't do it." Edith spoke up. "Ow." Edith turned to Coal after Coal pinched her. she scrunched her face and pinched him right back.

"Edith." Coal was about to pinch her back.

"That's enough." Regina was quick to step between the two. She let out a sigh and brushed her hair aside. She looked to Killian, "Will you help us?" she asked.

Killian frowned as he nodded. He rolled his eyes as he walked over to them. "I'll help... But if anything goes wrong..."

"I'll be right here." Regina tried to assure him.

"Alright..." Killian knew he was going to regret this in many and all ways. "Lets get this over with." he stated as he walked past them.

It had been about two or three hours since they started and Coal seemed to be getting no where. "Are you sure you have magic lad?" Killian asked as Coal tried to concentrate.

Coal just gave him a warning look before shaking out his hand. A blue spark zapped to the tips of his fingers. "I could just try shocking your heart out." He warned.

Killian dulled his eyes and shook his head. "If you think it will help." He stated in a mono tone voice.

Regina and Edith watched from a short distance. "Do you need me to go over anything again?" Regina asked.

Coal shook his head. "I think I got it this time." Coal rolled his lips as he focused on Killian's heart. He bit his bottom lip as he prepared himself to take his heart. "Gotta want it..." He muttered to himself.

Killian just watched. they had done this over a dozen and one times. At this point Killian honestly would be shocked if Coal was able to take his heart.

Coal rushed his hand out towards Killian's chest only to stop at the sound of a ring tone.

He quickly looked about not sure where it was even coming from.

"One second lad." Killian pulled his cell from his pocket. "What's up luv?" he asked.

Both Coal and Edith seemed confused by this little device. Coal pointed to it and looked to Regina.

"I'll explain later." Regina hushed to him.

"What happen?" Killian asked in a bit of shock. "No, I'll be right there." He hung up the phone and looked to Regina.

"We've got a problem." He stated.

"What happen?" Regina asked.

"Someone attacked Gold."


	18. Hidden in Time

Belle sat in the hospital next to Gold's bed. Tears were constantly being wiped from her eyes as she hoped her love would wake up soon. She felt a hand on her shoulder and immediately placed her hand on the strangers's hand. She took her attention off Gold for only a second to see who it was.

"We'll get to the bottom of this." Emma tried to assure her. Belle nodded as the tears suddenly came back. "I know." She pushed through her tears. "I just don't know what happen." she added. "I was gone for about twenty minutes but when I arrived back home." She couldn't really get the rest out as she squeezed Gold's hand in hers.

"I know." Emma stated. She gave Belle's shoulder a slight squeeze before looking out the window of the room. She felt a fresh of breath air at the sight of Regina and Killian.

"I'll be right back." She informed Belle before leaving the room.

"Thank god you're here." Emma looked to Regina and Killian. She had to pause for a moment when she noticed both Edith and Coal were not too far behind them.

She pointed to another spot down the hallway, "We need to talk." She told them. Sending a signal that she didn't want Edith or Coal to hear.

"Of course." Regina nodded. She turned to Edith and Coal and pointed to the floor, "Wait here..." She then pointed to them. "Don't move." She added warningly.

Coal and Edith both nodded.

It wasn't so much that she didn't trust them... Well she kind of didn't trust them, but more so to the fact that they weren't at home with her protection spells. And every time Coal left the house, disaster followed. Regina had already figured it out in a way. She had taken Edith out and nothing went wrong. Coal steps outside and the town goes up in flames.

Regina meet up with Killian and Emma a few feet away. "What happen?" She asked looking back at the room, but also keeping an eye on Coal and Edith.

Emma took in a deep breath before speaking. "I don't know." she thinned her lips and shook her head. "From what I can tell from Gold's shop, he had to have been in a fight with someone." She frowned her brows.

Killian narrowed his eyes as he looked from Emma to Regina. "Morgana?" he asked.

Emma shook her head and locked eyes with both of them. "Comparing to the fights we had with her before... I honestly don't think so." Emma frowned. "When I say that Gold's shop is destroyed, I mean it looked like an all out war zone."

Regina tilted her head, "And how would that be different from Morgana?" She asked.

Emma thought for a moment. "From what we know, Morgana is very particular in her targets." Emma glanced to Edith and Coal.

"You mean one target." Regina corrected her.

Both Killian and Emma looked to Regina a bit confused.

"She's after Coal." Regina informed them.

"How do you know this?" Emma asked.

Regina glanced over her shoulder at Coal and watched him for a moment. "She made her motives very clear the other night." she stated.

This greatly confused Killian and Emma to no extent.

"Wait." Emma touched her fingers to her temples, "What happen exactly?"

Regina turned back to Emma and Killian. She thought for a hot minute before gathering her words. "Edith and Coal broke into my vault the other night."

"What?! and you didn't tell us?" She asked.

Regina let her shoulders drop, "What I have to call you every time they do something?" she asked.

"Well... I... I would like to be informed." Emma pointed out.

Regina held up a hand, "Fine. Next time something happens, I'll inform your right away." She stated.

"Thank you." Emma slipped her hands into her pockets.

"But shortly after i found them... Morgana attacked us." Regina mentioned quickly. She brushed it off like it was no big thing.

But by the looks on both Emma and Killian's faces, they thought otherwise.

"It's fine." Regina told them.

"Regina, that is not fine." Emma tried to make eye contact with the Evil Queen.

"We handled it, we are fine." She held up another hand to Emma.

"Who is we?" Emma looked to Regina wide eyed.

Regina frowned and gave Emma a stern look. "Can we get back to Gold please?" It was more of a demand than a question.

"Fine." Emma placed both hands up and then placed them on her hips. "From what we can tell... Gold is under a spell." she told them.

"True loves kiss." Regina shrugged.

Emma shook her head. "We tried that."

Regina was shocked, "It didn't work? True loves kiss always works." She looked to Killian who greatly agreed with Regina.

"This is different." Emma stated.

"Different how?" Regina wanted to know more.

Edith and Coal did exactly what they were told, which was rare for them. Edith let her eyes wander as she looked around the hospital. "This is where they brought us shortly after we arrived." She hopped on her feet as she smiled to Coal.

Coal had his eyes focused on something else. He narrowed his eyes as he noticed something so small yet had bigger meaning. "Edith?" he asked.

Edith blinked and turned to Coal with a smile. "Yeah?' she asked.

Coal hide his motions from wandering eyes and pointed to Gold. "What color are his nails?" he asked.

Edith tilted her head at first but looked to the hand Belle was holding. She squinted her eyes only to let them grow wide. "Black..." She whispered.

"That's what I thought." Coal huffed.

Edith turned to Coal, "Does this mean?" Edith couldn't really finish her sentence as she didn't want to say much.

Coal nodded as his eyes were locked onto Gold's nails. "Yeah... He's here." Coal stated under his breath.

They had been at the hospital a few hours at this point. Edith and Coal placed themselves on a bench in the hallway while Emma and Killian took a trip to Gold's shop to see if they could find any clues.

Regina let out a sigh as she listened to Emma over the phone. "Let me know if you find anything." Regina stated before hanging up. She returned to Edith and Coal and folded her arms over her chest as she looked at them. Regina tilted her head a bit as she noticed something.

"Where did you get that?" She asked pointing to her mother's spell book. "I thought I put that away?" She looked to Coal. Coal looked to Regina and forced a small smirk, "I couldn't help myself." He closed it and handed it to her. Regina placed her hand up an shook her head. "No... You can hold onto it." She told him.

Regina watched as Coal looked shocked. "Really?" He asked.

Regina nodded.

Now Regina looked shocked when Coal gave her a genuine smile. He quickly turned back to the book and opened it right back up. Continuing where he left off.

Regina felt really good about herself at that very moment. Since they both showed up Coal always seemed mad or angry. Or just grumpy. She had gotten a few glimpses of him happy here or there, but this one stole the cake.

Cake...

Regina glanced to Edith ans saw that she was a bit board. While coal had something to do... She was left with her thoughts.

"You guys hungry?" she asked.

Edith light up and Coal even looked away from the book and nodded.

This made Regina feel warm inside. Something about them getting excited or being happy, it felt like her heart was warming up more than ever.

"Come on." She motioned for them to follow.

The next thing she knew they were at Granny's sitting in a booth looking over the menu.

"The burgers are amazing." Edith told Coal as she pointed to an image on the menu.

"What's a burger?" Coal looked from Edith to Regina, who just smiled back.

"Its food of champions." Edith exaggerated.

Regina had to pause looking over the menu. She already knew what she wanted, but this was the longest they had been away from the house. She wondered how long it would be until something went wrong.

"You should try this one Coal!" Edith reached across the table. In her attempt to help her brother decide on what to eat she knocked over one of the cups of water on the table. She quickly shot back into her seat next to Regina and didn't move, feeling guilt run up her spine. "sorry." She muttered.

Regina was quick to grab some napkins to start cleaning up the water. "It's ok." She told Edith.

"Coal why don't you ask granny for another water and more napkins." She told him pointing to the counter.

Coal nodded as he took the cup and made his way to the old lady behind the counter.

"Could I..."

"I'll be with you in a second dear." Granny stated as she hustled towards the other side of the counter with plates in her hands.

Coal felt extremely lost for a second. He wasn't exactly ignored very often, so when ignored, he would be lost on what to do. Should he just get his own water? Where could he find these napkins.

"You're new."

Coal turned his attention to the girl next to him. He blinked as to why she would really be talking to him. "I guess?" he questioned his answer and the question itself.

"I haven't seen you around here." She told him.

Coal looked around a bit before looking back to the girl. Not really sure what to say to her.

The girl laughed a bit as she placed her hand out towards him. "I'm Katie." She smiled. "What's your name?"

Coal still felt hesitant in the interaction. "Coal." He shook her hand.

Katie smiled as she leaned on the counter.

Granny came rushing buy and Coal quickly tried to get her attention. "Be right with you." Granny informed him again as she ran off.

Coal let out a small sigh as he watched her run towards the back calling out food orders.

Katie laughed and Coal quickly looked back to her. "It's lunch rush." she told him.

Coal wasn't too sure what that meant, but he had a strong idea that it meant this was a busy time.

"So what story do you come from?" she asked as she placed a hand on the small stack of books in front of her.

"Story?" Coal asked.

"Yeah. Story. Red riding hood, Jack and the bean stock, sword in the stone?" she showed off a few of the books she was reading.

Coal blinked at the books and then turned to Katie. "Ummm... The Good Queen?" He shrugged. He could recall a few stories his mother and father use to tell him when he was young, but Regina's story was always called the Good Queen. Especially when others told him about her.

Katie tilted her head. "Never heard of it." she glanced to her books.

"Its not really popular." Coal shrugged. Well... Not during this time.

Katie went quiet for a minute and brushed a bit of hair behind her ear. She bit her bottom lip as she glanced about. She spotted Granny heading back their way and quickly grabbed the woman's attention. "A glass of water and some napkins." She quickly pointed out before Coal could even raise his hand for Granny's attention.

Granny nodded and once more moved about.

"How did you...?"

Katie shrugged, "I saw the spill earlier." She told Coal with confidence.

Granny brought over a glass of water and a stack of napkins and went to hand them to Katie. Katie pointed to Coal.

Granny turned to Coal and held out the items.

"Thank you." He told Granny. And once more the woman was off.

He turned to Katie a bit intrigued with her actions. "Thanks." He told her.

Katie smiled and shrugged, "Any time." she smiled.

Coal went to leave, but stopped and turned around towards Katie. "What story are you from?" He had to ask as the question now really hit his mind.

Katie shrugged and placed a hand on the books. She forced a smile, but Coal could hear a hint of sadness in her reply. "Still looking for it." She smiled sweetly at him.

Coal slowly nodded. For some unexplained reason Coal really wanted to talk to her more. But he honestly couldn't think of anything to say. He actually stood there for a few good seconds as he tried to think of something. "I... hope you find it." Was all he could really muster out.

Katie nodded, "I hope so too." She turned in her seat and went back to her books.

Coal felt a war of questions battling it out inside his head, yet they were shooting blanks. So he turned around and headed back to Regina and Edith.

He handed Regina the napkins and placed the glass down.

"Who is that?" He asked pointing to Katie. He looked to Regina in hopes she had an answer to his question.

Regina looked over to the counter and smiled. "That's Katie." She told him. "Why?" she looked to Coal.

Coal had his eyes still on Katie as he shook his head a bit. "No reason." He uttered as he looked to the menu casually.

Regina knew that look. She and those around her all had that look at one point or another. She was about to say something, but didn't. She couldn't...

That's when reality struck her. Even if they were her kids... They weren't really her kids yet. In this day and time, they had yet to even be born. She frowned at the realization.

She snapped from her thoughts when Red came over to the table. "You guys ready to order?" she asked.

Regina didn't want to... But nodded. "Burgers all around." She gave a soft, but frail smile.

"Three for me." Edith perked up, "With extra everything." She added as she handed over her menu. She stopped and pointed to other items on the menu. "The fudge ice cream and a side of what ever this is." She pointed.

While Edith single handedly racked up the bill, Regina got lost while looking at Coal.

His eyes shifted towards Katie still at the counter made her feel sad inside. If only they didn't have to leave...

It wasn't long till Katie finished her meal and her book. As she gathered her things she glanced over her shoulder seeing Coal in the booth with Regina and one other. She tried to wave at him, but his attention was else where.

She frowned to herself as she quietly left the dinner.

She swung by the library in hopes to exchange her books for more, only to find it closed. She frowned even more but carried on about her day.

She walked the streets till she found her way to her apartment. Very little interactions with others as she went. She opened the door and dropped her bag and left overs on the kitchen counter. She pulled out the books and looked them over as she slowly walked into her living room. She stopped at a wall covered in notes, pictures and string.

She took in a small breath and let it exhale through her nose. "One day... I'll know who I am." She told herself with confidence.

"Well then today."

Katie spun around dropping her books rather quickly at the voice.

"Is your lucky day." Morgana placed a hand to her mask and slowly took it off. Revealing Katie's face.

"Your... M..."

Morgana slowly blinked as she watched Katie's reaction. It didn't last long as Katie fainted rather quickly.

To be continued!

Let me know what you guys think?! A lot seems to be coming together and this little adventure has got my writing juices flowing. lol


	19. The Clock Tower

Katie opened her eyes and sat up rather quickly. Looking around her living room remembering the last few minutes before she passed out. Rushing to her feet she ran around her apartment in hopes to find the other her. She made her way back into the living room and paused. She stood next to the kitchen counter and started to slowly retrace her steps. She made it to her wall and turned around. She frowned deeply when she noticed her mirror in the corner of the room.

She probably just spooked herself. It wouldn't be the first time. And yet this time was greatly different.

She swore that there was another her in this room.

Katie didn't understand. It felt so real... She looked down at the books on the floor and found that one was missing. She picked up the others and placed them on her coffee table. She looked back to the floor and started to crawl around looking for the missing book. She checked under the couch, under the coffee table, on the counters in the kitchen. She made her way back to the coffee table and counted each book.

She paused, "Where's the sword in the stone?" she questioned to herself.

A day or two had gone by and no sign of Morgana nor the new stranger who attacked Gold. Emma stood in Gold's shop looking about with Killian and her father. Each one slowly yet carefully shifting through the destroyed shop.

Emma felt a bit over whelmed at this point. No clues and no real direction for them to go in. "Anything?" She asked David as she made her way over to him.

David shook his head as he stood up holding some burnt item. He placed it down and looked about.

Emma and David both looked to the main door when someone walked in. "Everything ok?" Emma asked when she spotted Belle.

Belle swallowed and slowly nodded. "I'm just getting a few things before heading back to the hospital." She mustered out.

Emma could tell Belle had been crying day in and day out. Her voice alone was weak and saddened.

"I wont take long." She brushed past them and headed to the back.

Belle stopped half way and spun back around to face Emma, "Did you guys find anything?" she asked with a hint of hope in her words.

Emma shook her head. "But you'll be the first to know when we do." She assured her.

David gave Belle the best smile he could find, "We'll find a way to wake him up." He told her.

Belle nodded feeling her hope walk out the door. She had never seen him like this before. She never really meet anyone that could do something like this to him either. As far as she knew and the others, there was no one who could defeat the Dark One.

Belle was right when she said it wouldn't take her long to gather a few things. To be honest with herself, she didn't really want to leave the hospital in the first place. As she left Gold's shop she stood on the sidewalk and looked about the slow moving town. Her eyes drifted about and then landed on the clock tower where the library was at.

She sighed deeply as she looked over the building. She felt a little surprised when she noticed someone trying to look in the front doors of the library.

As she made her way across the street the figure turned around to reveal that it was none other than Katie. "Katie?" Belle questioned.

"Belle." Katie smiled with a slight chip in her voice.

"I wanted to return these and hoped to pick up the others I wanted from last week." she Told Belle holding out the books. "I stopped by the past few days and saw that the library was closed. Is everything ok?" she asked.

Belle wanted to say yes, but truly it wasn't. "Rumpl's in the hospital, so I've been over there." She tried to force a smile.

Katie already felt sad for Belle. "Is it serious?" Katie asked.

Belle was lost for words as she didn't know how to explain everything. Especially when the people around her had no clue what had happened either. "How about we get these checked in?" Belle asked.

Katie nodded. She could tell it was serious without Belle saying anything. She only hoped that this could take her mind off of things for a short while.

"You're missing one." Belle stated as she looked over the books Katie was returning.

Katie already had three new books in hand and looked to Belle, "I kind of lost it somewhere in my apartment." she rubbed the back of her neck. "But when I find it I will return it as soon as possible." Katie stated quickly.

Belle smiled softly to Katie. "I know you will." If it wasn't for Katie, Belle would be spending most of her spare time at the library by herself. Katie came in every few days to return books and check new ones out. Belle was surprised that Katie hadn't read through the whole library yet.

She checked Katie's books out and watched as the girl left.

The silence in the library calmed her and also brought up good and bad memories. If only this place could answer her call and help her find something to wake Rumpl up.

*rattle*

Belle jumped at the sound of something in the back move.

"Hello?" she called out. "Is someone there?" She asked as she slowly walked through the library in hopes to find out what caused the noise.

Belle slowed her step as she came to the back of the library. She felt lost as she saw part of an old bookcase was moved. "A door?" she questioned under her breath as she placed a hand on the case and move it a bit. She was shocked to find a spiral staircase. It went further down and up to the clock tower. She peeked inside and looked down to find that she could not see the end as it was too dark.

She looked up as quick as she could when she heard a noise come from up the spiral staircase. "Hello?" she called out as she quickly started to climb the steps.

As she raced up the steps, so did the other person. She tried her best to get a look at who it was but to no avail.

"Please i wont hurt... you...?" Belle had made it all the way to the top and stopped when she came to a small room. The room wasn't too small, but all the things gathered in it made it look so. Things were piled so high that they touched the ceiling. Light from outside came in through a tiny colored window, lighting up the room, filling it with color.

"Hello?" she asked again as she slowly made her way inside the room further. She stopped when she saw someone rather large, hiding in the shadows behind a pile of things.

She didn't know what to make of this, but she would try to help this person. "My name is Belle." She tilted her head a bit.

"I know who you are." A voice finally answered her. It was deep and very much scratchy.

"You know me?" She asked.

"Yes." He answered in a hushed tone.

"Have we meet before?" she asked. Belle felt utterly confused as she took another step towards the person.

"No." He grumbled and took a step back further into the shadows.

"If we have not meet, then how is it that you know me?" Belle took another step.

"Don't come any closer." He told her rather sharply.

Belle froze, "Why not?"

"Just go away." He hissed.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." she stood up tall and shook her head.

"Yes you can. Just turn around and go." He barked. "Forget you ever saw me." He added.

Belle laughed a little as she couldn't hear a threat in his voice. He was scared.

"I wont leave until you tell me who you are." She smiled a bit.

The man in the corner went silent.

Belle took another step towards him.

"If I tell you, will you leave?" he asked.

Belle shrugged, "Do I get to see you too?" She felt like she was dealing with a shy child. She frowned when he didn't answer her. "do you not want me to see you?" she asked.

The figure shrunk in his hiding spot as he thought, "You will not like what you see." He told her.

"Why would you say that?" Belle took another small step.

"For I am a monster." He told her.

"No one can be a monster." She shook her head at him.

Belle stopped when the figure started to move in the shadows. She squinted her eyes trying to get a better look and all she could see was shapes.

The man's footsteps sounded off. One light and one heavy as he slowly started to come into the light. The first thing Belle saw was red hair, a long braid, almost reaching to the floor as it hung over one shoulder. The next thing she noticed was indeed the difference in the shoulders, one was normal, while the other was large and had a hump on the back. His waist was small but his upper body was larger than the average man. He hunched over letting his arms dangle as he shuffled into the colored light.

His face was what caught her off guard a bit. A cloth wrapped around his head, to over one eye, making it look like a large lump was on his face, just like his back. His nose flipped up, making it look more like a snout and his teeth, were not aligned, a few bigger than the others.

But his one eye was locked with her own. A simple dark brown, filled with sadness.

"See, that wasn't so bad." she went to take a step towards him, but he immediately stepped back. "No, I promise I won't hurt you." she exclaimed.

"Please, what is your name." Belle gave the man a gentle smile.

He looked to her with his one good eye and rested his smaller hand on his bigger arm. "I was given the name, Quasimodo." He spoke in a whisper.

Belle felt a small connection with the man before her. She could greatly understand why he would be hiding, but she also felt like he didn't need to.

"How is the Dark One?" he asked.

Belle felt her world stop when he asked about Rumpl. "How do you know about Rumpl?" She asked.

Was this his attacker?

"I saw the man" Quasi told her. He pointed to his small window. With a quick monkey like movement. He jumped from the ground to the window high in the room and pointed. "The man with the cane." He sounded eager to tell her.

"You saw him?" She was shocked.

Quasi nodded rapidly. "Yes, the man with the cane." He told her.

Belle blinked not sure how to place this all together. "Wait, what man?" She watched as Quasi let go of the wall and drop back to the floor. "The man that uses dark magic from the dark ages." He tilted his head and started to play with his hair.

"Can you describe what he looks like?" She asked.

Quasi nodded and then reached out for her hand.

Belle wasn't sure if she should take his hand but did so anyway. With a quick jerk, he rushed her to the other side of the small room and moved aside a large pile of trunks with ease. One would have thought that they were empty, but you could see that the trunks were so full of things that they couldn't close all the way.

He pointed to the wall. Belle looked at the wall and couldn't see anything as it was so dark. "I can't see anything." She slowly took a step closer to the wall.

Quasi held up a finger as he moved about with energy. He jumped from wall to wall to stacks of things and then back down. He placed a hand on a small mirror and turned it, letting the light connect from mirror to mirror to wall.

Belle's eyes light up as her heart started to race.

Drawings of Storybrooke and the people who lived there covered the wall from ceiling to the floor. Everyone in such great detail. She stepped closer seeing a picture of her and rumple leaving the shop. She moved from one picture to the other. Henry, Regina and Emma walking on the sidewalk near Granny's...

"You drew all these?" She looked back to the hunchback.

Quasi nodded and stepped forward and pointed to a man. "This is him." he told her.

Belle looked at the picture of the man and immediately spotted pictures of Edith, Coal and Regina close by it. Almost over lapping it.

"May I have this?" She asked looking back to Quasi.

Quasi nodded.

As she went to pull the picture of Uther down she looked back to Quasi, "Thank you." She told him.

Quasi gave her a bright awkward smile as if he was trying to smile for the first time in his life.

"Hopefully this will help Emma and the others find him so he can break the curse on Rumpl." She mostly was talking to herself out loud, but Quasi gave her a confused look.

Belle kept her emotions back as she folded up the picture. "He placed a spell on Rumpl is why." She tried to hold her chin up high as the events rushed back into her head. "we have no idea what it is or how to break it." She added as she wiped a tear away rather quickly.

Quasi moved closer to her and frowned at her sadness. "Why not get the other magic user to be rid of the spell?" He asked.

Belle shook her head. "Regina and Emma can't help him as they don't know what kind of magic he used." She tried to force a smile.

Quasi shook his head and reached past her pulling down another picture, "What about this one?" He asked handing her the picture

Belle seemed shocked and confused at the same time. "How would Coal know how to cure Rumpl?" She asked letting her hands drop to her sides.

Quasi was now confused. "They share the same magic." He told her.

Belle blinked.

Quasi took in a deep breath through his nose smelling the air around him. "Their magic is exactly the same." he told her.

"How do you know that?" Belle felt frustrated.

Quasi pointed to his nose, "I can smell magic." He pointed out.

Belle couldn't believe what she was hearing as she stood there with Quasi in the clock tower. "You can smell magic?" she finally asked.

 **To be Continued!**

 **I hope everyone is enjoying this as much as I am!**

 **I'm so happy this story has gotten this far. There is still lots more to come.**

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	20. Purple People

Edith sat in the living room with a plate of goodies as she locked eyes with the food network. She chewed slowly with her eyes wide at the screen.

'tap,tap,tap'

Came at the front door.

She tried not to take her eyes off the TV as she turned her head to look over her shoulder. She looked about quickly before turning back to the television.

'Tap,Tap,Tap'

Came again.

Edith looked to the door and saw nothing. Her eyes curious as she wondered where the sound was coming from.

'TAP,TAP,TAP'

Edith almost jumped at the sound. She slowly got up from the couch and paused the TV. She was happy that she knew how, seeing as Martha was just about to tell her how to make the best roast in the world.

She made her way to the door and once again someone knocked. She looked to the stairs, the to the kitchen. She knew Coal and her mom were indeed home, but not sure where. As for answering the door. Regina made it clear for her not to.

The tapping turned into thuds and without second guessing she unlocked and opened the door.

Belle rushed in, "I need to speak with your brother." She stated in a hurry. Emma stood behind Belle, showing signs of regret and exhaustion.

"Ummm...?" Edith was at a loss as she looked from Belle to Emma.

Emma shrugged, "All i know is that she needs to talk to the cheater." She muttered as she entered the house and shut the door behind them.

Edith slowly chewed what food she had left in her mouth before gulping a bit. "I don't know where he is at the moment." She confessed.

Belle was all over the place as she went to step away from them to find Coal only to step back and face Edith. She pulled out the paper Quasi gave her and showed it to Edith. "Do you know this man?" she asked making sure her words were very clear.

Edith looked at the picture and immediately knew who the man was. She slowly looked to Belle and slowly shook her head no. The words of Coal rushing through her mind as she did so.

"His name is Uther." Belle told Edith.

Edith slowly nodded with her eyes held wide.

"He and your brother have similar magic." She pointed out. Belle wasn't sure if she could trust the words from Quasi, but it's all she had. And he told her that Coal could help Rumple. Her mission was simple. Get Coal, bring him to Rumple and have Coal fix him.

"What is going on here?" Regina asked as she made her way down the stairs. Belle quickly turned to Regina and meet her halfway up the steps. She held the picture out to Regina. "This man... His name is Uther. He placed the spell on Rumple." She exclaimed.

Regina was now strongly confused as she took the paper.

Emma slowly made her way over to Edith and leaned over a bit. "You're lying." she told the young girl.

Edith snapped her attention towards Emma. She gulped again, swallowing the rest of her food. "You know exactly who that is." Emma pointed out.

All attention turned back to Regina when Belle rushed past her snatching the paper from her hand. She almost fell over one of the steps as she approached Coal. Coal was in shock just like the others in the room. He heard the noise and only came to see what was going on. Only to be bombarded by Belle.

"You can fix Rumple." She stated as she held the picture out in front of her.

Coal glanced around to the others in the room before looking to the picture. He had seen this picture before. Not just the man, but he knew this picture from their future. He slowly took the drawing and looked it over.

"You can fix him... Can't you?" Belle asked in a more pleading tone.

Coal looked to Belle and then to the others in the room. He paused on Regina before turning back to Belle and nodding.

"You could have helped this whole time?" Regina asked as she folded her arms.

Coal looked to her and gave her a half shrug. "No one asked." He almost whispered.

Regina twisted her lips as she locked eyes with Coal. Coal hadn't seen that look on his mother in such a long time, but he knew this meant he was in trouble.

"Let's go." Regina stated as she started to make her way down the stairs.

"But Martha's on." Edith hushed. She knew that tone and look too.

"I said, let's, go." Regina stated in a bit of anger.

Edith rolled her lips in and then looked to Coal. She already blamed him for Regina being mad and for the fact that she was gonna miss Martha.

Belle reached out and grabbed Coal's wrist, pulling him along down the stairs.

Once outside Edith went to Emma's car.

Regina had to pause for a second. Emma walked up over next to her, "She'll be fine." She told Regina.

Regina wasn't sure how to take this. Edith would rather ride with Emma and Belle then ride with her. But then again, she wasn't exactly in the best of modes all of a sudden.

"We'll meet you there." Regina told Emma. Emma nodded before heading to her car.

Just as Belle came out of the house still dragging Coal. Coal pulled away right before they passed Regina. "I need a few things." He told Regina.

Regina looked to Coal, still a bit angered, but saw something in his eyes. It pained her and she didn't even know what it was. It was sadness mixed with remorse... Or something like that.

Regina nodded.

Coal looked to Belle, "Just so you know, he's fine." He told her. That cocky arrogant tone that was normally in his voice was not there this time. This came as a shock to Regina as Belle nodded. She didn't want to leave without Coal. But she knew she was really needed by Rumple's side. "Please hurry." she told him before heading off to Emma's car.

As the three left, Regina and Coal stood therefor a few seconds. Regina looked in her bag for her keys and once she found them she had to turn back to Coal. "You could have helped him and yet you said nothing." She pointed out. Anger lingered in her voice as she headed for her car. Coal followed but didn't seem too happy, nor had the erg to speak for that matter.

It twisted and boggled her mind as they got in the car. She recalled his statement about no one asking him earlier. She slowly shook her head as she started up the car. "What things do you need?" she asked.

Coal was looking at the picture still in his hand when she asked. He thought for a second before answering. You could tell he didn't want to tell her... But did so anyway. "I need pixie salt, dragon's root, black water..." Coal paused as he tried to remember the ingredients. "It's like a mint leaf but smells like burnt ash..." He glanced to her.

"Coal leaves?" she asked. Raising a brow at him. He knew exactly what he needed. And she was right as Coal quickly looked away from her.

Regina started to place the ingredients together in her mind. The list wasn't complete but there was only one thing that called for pixie salt and black water. "You're making a poison?" she asked a bit shocked.

"And not just any poison..." she narrowed her eyes at him. "A poison that kills the mind." she watched him carefully. "If you give that to Gold,"

"It's not for Gold." Coal cut her words off.

Regina didn't like the sound in his voice. "Then who is it for?" she asked.

The car feel silent as she waited.

"Coal?" Regina's anger was still boiling away the deeper they got into this conversation. And to be fair it wasn't that deep... yet...

Coal looked to the picture, "It's for me." he hushed.

Regina gritted her teeth. "Why would you need a poison like that?" she wasn't just going to give him such a poison or any where near it, without a good explanation.

She turned off the car and turned to fully face Coal.

Coal folded up the paper and turned to face Regina. "Gold is not just under a spell." Coal started. "He's in a recoil stage." He told her.

Regina nodded a bit as she listened.

"The person who attacked him used a specific kind of magic, one that can see another person's memories. But after they are done, they leave that person in a confusion state of some sort." He tried to explain what Uther did to Gold. "It's like going to the library and looking through every last book, but instead of placing it back where you found it... You just put it anywhere." He shrugged.

"Meaning?" Regina still held her ground as she waited for the full explanation.

"Gold is fine, his mind is just... Unorganized." Coal shrugged. "But if left like that for too long..." He looked back to the folded paper.

"He will remain lost." Regina finished his train of thought.

"Exactly." Coal looked to her.

Regina understood what he was saying, but it didn't explain the poison.

"The poison is for me. If I go into his mind and try to organize his memories and thoughts back together. I get caught up in the spell." Coal leaned back in his seat.

Regina was a bit shocked as she placed everything together now. "You'll have an imprint of his memories." She said softly.

Coal nodded. "His whole life to be exact."

"With just the right about of that poison..."

"I can erase the imprints." Coal finished her sentence and looked to her.

Their eyes locked for a minute or so before Regina turned on the car. She pulled her seat-belt on and pointed to Coal. "I'm still mad at you." she noted.

Coal tried to hide the small smile wanting to form on his lips. He nodded as Regina started to drive.

As they drove, the car was extremely silent. Even when they got to Regina's crypt still no words were really spoken.

Coal moved about looking for the ingredients while Regina set up her things so they could make the potion. She paused when she spotted something on the floor. She bent down and picked it up. Opening the paper she realized it was the drawing from before. "So this is Uther? The guy who attacked Gold?" she asked looking to Coal.

Coal merely glanced over his shoulder and shrugged quickly before turning back to the bottles in his hand. "I guess so."

Regina was a bit feed up with all these secrets and half answers. She wasn't able to spot a lie like Emma, but she was starting to notice when Coal or Edith was holding back on something. "What do you know about him?" she questioned. she knew she wouldn't get much out of Coal, but today was not the best day for Coal to hold back secrets.

Coal let out a heavy breath as he turned and placed a few bottles on the table. Coal looked to Regina and gave her a very unexpressed look. "I know a bit about him..." He started as he picked up a bottle. He looked it over, trying to eyeball the amount of liquid inside it, in hopes they had enough.

Regina looked over the picture and then let her eyes shift to Coal. "And you can't share because it might jeopardize the future?"

"Yup." Was Coal's only answer.

Regina pondered on her thoughts before smirking a bit. She folded her arms as she eyes Coal. "What if not telling us jeopardizes the future?" she tilted her head.

Coal looked up and blinked at her words. He never thought of it that way and she could tell.

Both were quiet for the moment. "I wont risk it." He said flatly before turning back to the bottles.

Regina felt like a heavy weight just landed on her at Coal's response. "What can you tell me?" she asked. She needed something, anything...

Coal slowly looked to her and could sense her frustration. It was literally written all over her face. He couldn't tell her much, but there was one thing that he could tell her.

"You're a good mom." He said under his breath as he looked away.

Regina felt her heart sink in her chest at his words.

"You were always there for me and Edith no matter what was going on." He added as he refused to look away from the bottles as he started to measure the ingredients.

Coal wasn't sure why he continued to talk, ever since Morgana took away their parents...

"You taught me my first spell." A small smirk came to his lips as he could recall the moment so clear. "I got it horribly wrong." He almost laughed.

Regina frowned when Coal didn't laugh.

"Edith was purple for a week." He shook his head.

"Purple?" Regina was shocked, but for some reason she could see it actually happening.

Coal nodded with a light smile. "I cried for weeks." He picked up another bottle and slowly looked to her.

Regina rose a brow at him. "You cried?" she asked.

Coal rolled his eyes. "Edith cried for like an hour and then terrorized the help around the castle. She actually cried more after she went back to normal." Coal actually laughed this time. This brought a smile to Regina's face.

Coal looked to her and shook his head a bit. "You told me a riddle... What has no windows and no doors, but has a star in the middle?" He looked to her in hopes she would know.

Regina blinked as she already knew the answer. She smirked and waved her hand, purple smoke formed in her hand and then vanished to reveal a red apple. She handed it to Coal. Coal took the apple and turned it on it's side. He picked up a knife and cut the apple in half. Revealing a star in the center.

"Sometimes you have to do things differently than others to find your star." He said before looking to her.

Regina smiled and shook her head. Her eyes locked on the apple. She never told anyone about that. Her father use to cut apple like so to make her feel better when she was just a small girl. She would have shown Henry, but never got around to doing so.

She looked to Coal noticing that he was back to measuring ingredients. She wanted to walk over to him and give him a hug. But she stopped herself.

"What did your father say about it? Edith being green?" she asked

"Purple." Coal made the color very clear. Regina laughed a bit. "Purple." She repeated.

Coal rolled his lips and took in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled slowly. "He helped her find new ways to torment people while she was purple... And then when she was back to normal... He helped her paint her skin purple." He emphasized on the color every time he said it.

Regina's reaction was not impressed.

"Yup, that's the look." He pointed to her. "That's the look you had right before you yelled at him." Coal smirked.

Regina rolled her eyes. "You don't paint a child purple... No matter how much she cries." Regina turned back to setting up her tools.

"You said that too." Coal continued about his work. "But what really got you mad was when he painted his skin purple too... I believe his 'excuse' was 'It looked like fun." Coal chuckled a bit.

Regina couldn't help but laugh either. She took one more look at Coal feeling a lot better than before. She shook her head at the thought of her children turning one another purple and then whom ever this father was... had to paint his skin purple too... Because it looked like fun...


	21. Snow

Once at the hospital Regina and Coal made their way to where Gold and the others were. Emma was in the hallway with Edith and Belle was once again at Rumple's side.

"Took you long enough." Emma remarked once they got close enough.

Regina gave a dull look to Emma before turning to Coal. "You ready?" she asked as she brushed his hair out of his eyes and fixed his shirt. Coal placed his hands up getting her to stop rather quickly. Regina felt strange and embarrassed when she realized what she was doing. "Sorry." she muttered to Coal.

Coal nodded a little as he looked at her.

She held up the bottle and one hand, "Once gold wakes... Two drops every two to three hours."

Coal huffed with a nod as he walked past her and entered into Gold's room. Belle jumped from her seat when he entered. She quickly started to ramble on about things which was muffled by the door closing behind Coal.

Emma rose a brow to Regina once Coal left. "You ok?" she asked seeing a worried look on Regina's face. Regina was quick to brush it aside with a bit of her hair. "I'm fine." she told Emma.

Emma could tell she wasn't, "You sure?" she asked.

Regina wanted to say yes, but really she was feeling conflicted. She needed someone to talk to. The more time she spent with Edith and Coal the more her world got clouded. While making the poison with Coal she noticed the difference in her since they arrived. It's one thing to have a baby and be all about it, but it was another to have two grown teens wandering about. Not to mention that they were hers.

"Maybe later." Regina told Emma. Emma nodded, feeling that she was able to help Regina out a bit. Even if it was listening about her brats.. I mean kids.

Both turned their attention to the room and gave a heavy sigh. "I should... I mean we should." Regina pointed to the room. Emma nodded as the tow made their way into the room. Edith was close behind and felt happy to be ignored for a moment. She got to witness her and her mother's best friend have a moment.

Once in the room Regina looked to Coal, "So what now?" she asked. She was curious as this was magic that she had no experience with.

Coal looked from Gold to Regina, "Now..." Coal paused as there was more to this than what he had explained. "It might take some time." That was a lie. This would take hours, maybe even days. If he recalled the stories of the Dark One, that meant there were years beyond years of memories to organize. A normal person would take about three hours... The Dark One.. probably fifteen to twenty. He also didn't calibrate for the Dark One's magic either.

Coal pulled up a chair next to Gold's bed and took a seat. He reached out and went to place a hand on Gold's forehead.

"Are you sure about this?" Regina made him pause.

Coal looked to her and gave her a smirk just as he placed a hand on Gold.

The lights in the room flickered greatly and even the floor shook a bit. But it all came to a stop when Coal's body went limp and his hand slid off of Gold.

Emma and Regina looked to one another before Regina went to Coal's side. She pulled him back so he was sitting up right in his chair.

"So, we wait?" Emma asked as she looked around the room. She looked to Edith. Edith looked up to find the others looking at her. she shrugged as she really had no idea how long it would take. "Pretty much." She looked to Coal and Gold.

Hours had gone by since Coal passed out. Regina and Emma were in the hallway on their third cup of coffee. Belle and Edith sat in the room with Gold and Coal, Edith happily talking to Belle about the food network. Both were happy to step out of that conversation.

"So what's going on?" Emma asked as she sipped her coffee.

Regina sighed not knowing where to begin. Everything was overwhelming and Coal's attitude at times was not helpful. Edith had her moments, but for the most part she was like an angel. A devious angle, but still had a better attitude towards everything.

They both took a seat on the bench near the room as Regina gathered her thoughts.

It was things they did and said, but mostly the things they didn't say. This whole future thing and kids was balling up inside of her.

Things that were only dreams were starting to feel real to her. She looked to Emma and honestly wanted to cry. This was so not like her. She was strong and very much capable of dealing with a lot of things. The last time she felt so lost was when Henry...

She let out a sigh not wanting think about it. "I feel like I'm in over my head." She told the savior.

Emma nodded at her words. "I bet." She muttered. Most of her thoughts were on Coal. She could only imagine what it was like living with the kid. He probably lied left and right. She honestly didn't trust anything he said after some point. Even when Belle told her that Coal could help Gold, she was questionable about it.

Regina pulled out the drawing she got from Coal. She opened it up and looked it over. "Morgana and now this guy?" Regina felt like she was fighting a war she couldn't win. A war Edith and Coal fought their entire lives.

Emma looked over knowing Regina had more on her plate than what she was telling her. She wouldn't push her, mostly cus she knew she would open up when the time was right.

"I'm gonna go check up on them." Emma told Regina. Emma stood up and placed a hand on Regina's shoulder. "Maybe some fresh air would help." Emma suggested as she headed for the room.

Regina nodded agreeing that it would help. Step outside and clear her mind.

Regina made her way outside and pulled her coat closer to her body. Feeling the cold tickle at her nose she started to regret the idea. She scanned the parking lot, finding it rather empty for the moment. Quiet and the wind didn't really blow at all.

"Cold isn't it?" A deep voice asked from behind her.

Regina spun around only to meet eyes with Uther.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked him over.

"Lovely, but cold." He said giving her a smile.

Regina stayed quiet as she watched him carefully.

Uther watched her as well. His eyes gleamed with curiosity. He took a step towards her and Regina stood her ground firmly. "What do you want?" she demanded.

Uther pinched his lips together as he took another step, getting right into her space. "What do I want?" he asked with a laugh. He stepped away and spun around on his feet as he didn't take long to answer her question. "I want to know what your connection is with the kid." He stated in a stern tone.

Regina narrowed her eyes. "What kid?" She had an idea, but wanted to know for sure.

Uther smiled once again. "Coal." He tilted his head studying her. He looked to his nails as he let his shoulder lean on a pillar close by him. "The one who can use my magic." His tone went from joyful to serious in less than a second. "It's been a long time since someone has used my magic." He told her as he folded his hands neatly in front of him. "And the last person to do so died at my hands." he told her.

Regina wasn't liking the direction of the conversation. "So what, you get upset when someone uses magic like yours?" she asked. Her tone was bitter in every way.

Uther nudged himself off the pillar and walked over to her quickly. "Not magic like mine. My magic. Meaning this kid has a direct link to me somehow." He told her.

Regina never did like people getting in her space when they were unwelcomed. "

"I'm gonna find out how he's able to." Uther told her. "And if you or anyone gets in my way..." His tone was beyond warning. This was a death threat. He laughed and shook his head slowly as he locked eyes with her. "Let's just say, you have 'never' seen power like mine."

The two stood there, eyes locked as neither would make the move to step down.

"Touch him and you will regret ever stepping foot in my town." Regina warned finally.

Uther bit his bottom lip. She had fire in her, strong fire. He always did love a challenge.

And she would be a great one.

Uther cooled his eyes as he smirked at her. "I will never regret running into you." He leaned in and placed his lips by her ear. "Your Majesty." He whispered.

Regina's blood started to really boil at this point. With a large shove and a push of her magic, she thrust-ed her hands forward. Uther slid back, snapping his hand to reveal his cane. He struck it too the ground, keeping him from being shoved back even further.

The space between them was only a few feet, but it felt like they were miles apart and yet they also felt like they were only inches away from one another.

Their eyes failed to unlock as they stood their. Regina's heart pounded in her chest as she took in a few deep breaths. Emotions swirled deep within her, she wasn't even sure as to why, but they were there and she would act upon them.

A mother bear protecting her cubs from such a beast.

Uther touched the tip of his tongue to the inside corner of his lips. He heard the stories about her and he even had the crocodile's memories. Her threats were indeed not hollow like other magic users he had meet in the past. She was something else. Her tiny display of magic told him more that any memories or rumors could.

Snow gently started to fall as they didn't move for some time.

Neither would step down or dare to show a sign of weakness.

Uther let a smile brighten up his face, "How about this." He opened a hand up. "I'll come back when the boy is done with the Dark One." Uther tilted his head a bit. "Then the real fun can begin." He smirked. He tapped his cane on the ground twice and with a wisp of wind and snow, he vanished.

Regina had her eyes still locked to where he once was before looking around. If he was still here... No, he wouldn't be. But he would hold true to his word.

Regina hurried back inside and made her way to Gold's room.

Emma blinked as her and Edith stood by the vending machine. Emma knew that look on Regina's face. "You ok?" she asked as Edith took hold of Emma's wallet. She pulled out a few dollars and started to place them into the machine.

"What happen?" Emma asked as Regina moved by them quickly. She was a woman on a mission as she came to Gold's room. She swung open the door and looked around, only to lay eyes on Coal, still passed out in his chair.

Her chest slowly rose and fell as she watched him. Belle stood up from her seat, confused and shocked as to why Regina would barge in like so. "Regina?" She asked.

Regina glanced to Belle but her eyes darted back to Coal. Then it hit her. she shoved her hands into her pocket and pulled out the drawing. She turned to Belle. "What did you say his name was?" she asked.

Belle looked to the picture and then back to Regina. "I was told his name was Uther... Uther Pendragon." She looked to Regina still a bit confused. "What's going on?" she asked.

Emma stood in the door way behind Regina, "Regina? Talk to me."

Regina slowly turned around to face both Emma and Belle. Her eyes narrowed and her fist clenched tightly.

"If he wants a fight, he's gonna get one." Regina stated.

((Well if you made it this fare, it means you like what you are reading. Here's the link to my Wattpad if you would like to check out some original stories))

user/NovaNovass

If not just look up the user NovaNovass, or do a search on Wattpad for this exact fan fiction. Same title.


	22. Let it Begin

Hours had passed since Regina first meet Uther. Her anger was still at large, but she kept it in check.

Emma placed her hands on her hips as she stood next to Regina. "Are you sure about this?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded. "You saw what he did with Gold." She stated as she looked about the hallways. She was alert as was everyone else.

"Is Henry with Marry Margret?" Regina asked.

Emma nodded as she watched David and Killian heading their way. "Hey." Emma expressed to the both of them.

Killian seemed more relaxed to see Emma while David had a look of concern on his face. "So, how exactly are we going to stop this guy?"

It was a question on everyone's minds. Regina had somewhat of plan, but they had no idea what this guy could do. With Emma by her side, she felt confident. But she also felt like they were in way over their heads. She couldn't stand by and let something happen to her kids.

"It's simple." Regina tried to assure the others. "If me and Emma can't stop him, you and Killian take Edith and Coal out of here." Even with her strong exterior, Emma and the others could tell Regina was worried. They would have tried to move Gold and Coal, but Edith had explained that they could not be moved until Coal was done with the spell. So here they were. Stuck until at least Gold woke up. Once Gold wakes up, Coal could be moved.

Edith sat in Gold's room with a large amount of candy wrappers scattered about. She had been done with her snacks for sometime now and her eyes were mostly glued to Gold's fingers. The black was almost gone, means Coal was almost done.

Her eyes slipped to the door where she could see Emma, and her mother talking to the others. She felt horrible as she knew what kind of magic both Coal and Uther had. She knew they were no match or him. Well, her mother maybe, but she was walking into a fight blindly.

She gulped a bit as she stood up and headed for the door. Coal told her not to say anything, but if she didn't, their mom and their family friends just might get killed.

Belle watched Edith head for the door, "Is everything alright?" She asked grabbing Edith's attention.

The look on Edith's face when she looked to Belle, made Belle's heart pause. Something was wrong. She could see it in Edith's eyes.

Edith glanced to Gold and then back to Belle, "He should be waking up soon." She told her. Belle looked back to Gold only to look over her shoulder back to Edith. She noticed that Edith used that moment to slip out of the room. She leaned over in her chair a bit seeing Edith step next to Regina.

She frowned a bit as she looked back to Gold, holding his hand in her's as she wished for his eyes to open.

Regina turned to Edith as she walked over to them. "We need to talk." Edith whispered to Regina.

Regina shifted her eyes to Emma and the other, giving them a look as if to give her and Edith a minute.

As the others left Edith turned Regina towards her. Regina did not expected this kind of behavior from Edith, which shocked her greatly. "Edith? What's wrong?" She asked.

Edith locked eyes with Regina, "Everything." She mustered out.

Regina frowned her brow feeling the pit of her stomach turn.

Belle looked up when she felt a small squeeze on her hand. Her eyes darted to Rumple as his eyes slowly opened. "Rumple?" she asked quickly getting out of her chair and closer to the bed.

"Belle?" Gold asked as he slowly looked around. His eyes stopped when eh saw Coal still passed out in his chair. He looked over to Belle, "Where is he?" he asked.

Belle looked confused, "Who?" She felt like she had a small idea as to who, but she only wished that he was not talking about Uther.

Uther stood right outside of the main entrance of the hospital looking up at the window to Gold's room. He took in a deep breath as he leaned on his cane. He smiled as he felt the magic in their air. He could feel it in his fingers that the boy had finally woken the Dark One. He looked up to the night sky as more snow continued to fall.

What a glorious night, he thought. "Too bad I have to kill it." He rolled his neck a bit before taking a step forth towards the hospital.

He kicked up his cane and placed it under his arm. He was there for the boy, but his thoughts sat on Regina. She intrigued him earlier and even stood her ground. Not many women could do that around him. Most of those other women were weak in his eyes. But her. Oh he was hoping she would be here.

David and Killian stood with Emma down the hall. Her eyes looking back to Edith and Regina every now and again. Her gut feeling was stirring within her. She looked back to David and Killian only to shove David aside and then topple onto Killian, bringing him to the ground.

Just as she hit the floor a large flash of lightning zipped by them, crashing into the vending machine not to far away.

Uther stepped down the hall, his cane in hand and his eyes locked in the direction of his target.

He payed no mind to those around him. To him they were weak.

Emma turned on her knees and held out both hands towards Uther. A white light started to form, but ended quickly as she was suddenly shocked. Emma let out a cry of pain and collapsed to the ground. Killian pushed himself off the ground and went to Emma's side quickly. "Emma?" He asked desperately, as she continued to cry out.

Killian didn't understand why Emma was still in pain, but he tried his best to get her attention. He looked over to see David was passed out. He looked up to see Uther walk past them not even bothering to look down at them. His eyes focused on the two down the hall.

Regina and Edith both jumped back at the first attack. Edith reached for her belt and and pulled her staff out that was tucked away. She flipped it around and it grew in length. Regina went to use her magic only for Edith to step in front of her.

"You can't fight him..." She told Regina as she kept her eyes on Uther.

Regina stepped out from behind Edith and fire raged from her hands. She quickly shoved them forward letting fire race towards Uther.

Uther stood his ground and waved his cane as the fire rushed at him. The fire quickly vanished with a flash leaving Uther unharmed.

Regina narrowed her eyes at this. She glanced to her hands knowing well that she had placed in a lot of energy into her first attack. Normally she wouldn't waist her energy, but this wouldn't be like any other fight. She looked back up at Uther who was not just smiling, but smirking as he continued to make his way over to them.

"You're strong. But you're gonna have to get crafty." He told her.

Edith once again took her stance in front of Regina.

"I wont fight you little girl." Uther tilted his head. "You have no magic." He added.

Edith kept a serious look on her face as she stood to fight.

Uther stopped when he was a good ten feet way from the two. Edith didn't budge from her spot between him and Regina. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. At first Uther did not see her as a challenge, but the more they stood there, the more he noticed what she was doing.

To an untrained eye, it would look as if Edith was only inching her stance little by little as if getting comfortable, but Uther recognized that stance and the soft movement. She was already calibrating moves, similar to a game of chess, but in combat. Something he does himself when fighting. But how would she, or how could she even know something like that. This rose his attention more towards Edith than Regina at this moment.

Uther locked eyes with Edith. She didn't have magic, which he could tell just by her energy. Uther loved challenges and Edith was starting to show signs of that. He smirked with a chuckle as he shook his head a bit at the young girl. "Are you sure about this?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

Edith dared not to move from where she stood.

Uther felt something ping in his left wrist. Making him become more focused on what was at stake here. "I have no time for this." He muttered as he tapped his cane on the floor.

As he started to disappear Edith's eyes shot wide as she rushed as fast as she could at Uther. Flipping her staff through her fingers she gathered momentum for her attack. Only to swing at air as Uther completely disappeared. "Dammit." Edith cursed as she shot her attention back to Regina and the room where Coal and the others were.

Regina was quick to notice where Edith was looking and looked to the room as well.

Belle was in the middle of trying to keep Gold in his bed when Uther appeared next to Coal's chair.

Coal still passed even with all the commotion going on.

Gold gritted his teeth as he turned to Uther. This man made him look like a fool. He got the better half of him and stole from him. Now here he was again. Gold would not let this man win again.

"You." Gold hissed.

Belle grabbed onto Rumple's arm and tried to hold him back as he tried to make his way around the bed to get to Uther. "I'm going to kill you." Rumple warned.

Uther let his eyes glide away from Coal and over to Belle and Gold. "Is that so?" He asked in a calm voice with a light look on his face. Uther slowly raised his hand out towards the both of them only to turn his attack towards the door as a ball of fire rushed into the room. It stopped two feet away from him and started to go out. Uther's smirks and smiles were starting to fade from his face as a more serious look took over.

"You all need to chill out." Uther stated as he waved his hand and ice took over the room. It reached out to a bit in the hall as well. Belle and Gold immediately froze in ice and Regina and Edith would have been next if Edith hadn't pulled Regina back enough away from the frozen edge.

Regina looked to the ice and then to the room. The open door and wall was now iced over, giving them an obstacle to over come before getting to Uther and Coal. Regina was not going to stand by for this. She swirled her hands about before thrusting them forward, letting a stream of fire connect with the frozen door. She held it as she would not stop until they could get through.

Uther rolled his eyes at Regina's attempts to get through before turning to the sleeping Coal. He felt disgusted knowing that this mere child was using his magic. It started to burn in his chest over the matter.

A child... A child was able to learn and use his magic.

Uther took a step closer as he waved his hand just above Coal. A soft cloud of glittery dust gently fell onto Coal making him stir in his sleep. "Time to wake up." he stated in a hushed voice.


	23. All is fair in Love and War

**I know its been some time since I have updated. A lot of things going on in life...**

 **I do however have some really cool plans for this story in mind. (^_^)**

 **But on another note, my friend thinks I should print this story out and send it into ABC as a spc script. She thinks it could help me try and get a job as a TV show writer... Do you guys think it would be a good idea? I mean, OUAT is over with, but she thinks I have captured the characters very well... So yeah... Just thought I might ask you guys for some feed back. Anyways... On with the story!**

 **P.S. Hint to some new characters that will be joining in... Hint number 1. Once upon a December...**

Athos stood respectively at the edge of the room, keeping his eyes sharply upon the young king. Coal moved about the little wooden figures on the table. His eyes and mind focused on his moves and actions. He would move a few pieces before moving them back, and then would move them about again in a different manner.

"You do not need to be here." Coal finally broke the silence.

Athos shrugged as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "And you should be guarded." He stated as he let his eyes shift over the room.

Coal felt a slight headache forming over Athos' words. "I am well guarded." Coal stated. A slight ring of attitude struck in his voice.

"Is that so?" Athos questioned. He removed himself from the wall and placed a hand on his sword. He slowly took a few steps around the room, keeping his eyes on Coal. "Who would protect you if the enemy was here?" Athos slowly started to make his way towards Coal. Coal still had his back towards the musketeer, showing no signs of even thinking about defending himself.

Athos gripped his sword tighter as he inched closer. "What if I were sent by the enemy?" He asked as he paused in his step. He was about four feet away from Coal. Such a small distance and yet, he could throw his sword and kill the young king. Yet Coal showed no signs of even paying any attention to him and his warning words of attack.

Athos narrowed his eyes, angered over the lack of guards, but still. He felt this young king needed to be taught a lesson. He took another step and went to draw his sword...

Bam!

Athos hit the ground hard with something strong and heavy on top of him. He was meet by a disfigured face with long red braided hair and one brown eye. His mangled teeth were clenched together as he snorted heavily through his nose. A large hand pressed hard onto Athos' chest. He dared not to breath in the fear of his chest collapsing from the weight being placed on him.

Coal looked up from the table and looked over his shoulder. A soft frown came across his face as he turned around and leaned on the table. "You can let go of him Quasi." Coal stated as he folded his arms.

Quasi looked to Coal before looking back to Athos. He snarled at the musketeer before releasing him and stepping away.

Coal and Quasi both watched as Athos scrambled to his feet. His eyes locked on the monster before him. Fear struck in his eyes.

"Athos meet Quasi, Quasi meet Athos." Coal stated.

Athos looked back and forth from Quasi and Coal, till he finally landed on the young king. "This! This thing is your body guard?" He asked in utter shock.

Coal shrugged nonchalantly at the words.

"You let a monster protect you?" Athos took a step closer to Coal. His words sounding angered.

"Who are you calling a monster?" Coal leaned off the table. His voice rising to the same level of anger. "If anyone here is a monster its you." Coal stated as he locked eyes with Athos.

"A child king and monster for a guard dog." Athos stated as he motioned to Quasi. "No wonder why this kingdom is falling." He looked Coal up and down.

Coal narrowed his eyes at Athos while silence took the room.

"Get out." Coal stated flatly.

Athos rolled his eyes as he held back a forced laugh. "You're kingdom is a joke." He stated.

"You're just mad because my 'friend' here got the better hand over you." Coal snapped. "If anyone here is acting like a child it's you." He pointed out. "Quasi has been a long time friend of the family and has always been my protector." Coal shook his head slightly. "I will not stand for some stranger coming into my home and calling him a monster." Coal gritted his teeth.

Quasi stood as tall as he could next to Coal. He knew the young king did not have to stand up for him. But Coal always did on his behalf. Just like Coal's father did.

Coal slowly opened his eyes as the world came to. His mind felt heavy and his head throbbed. He reached up and placed a hand to his head as he started to take in the scene before him. He was lost for words as to what he had woken up to.

Frozen? Walls and people were frozen.

The room was freezing making his skin shiver. He slowly looked around and soon found a dark figure standing next to him. The colors of black and red mushed together for a moment before his eyes began to focus. His mind was still foggy though. He had shifted through so much in a short amount of time... He winched at the thought. He needed that poison. He needed to...

Coal blanked when his eyes connected with Uther's "Dad?" Coal questioned. He could not tell where he was or what he was doing as the fog continued to cloud his thought process.

Uther thinned his lips and narrowed his eyes at Coal. He leaned over and got a deeper look into Coal's eyes, "You can use my magic, yet... You have a problem with such a simple spell." He smirked. He shook his head a bit as he stood up straight. "You're going to tell me how you are able to use my magic... Even if it kills you." Uther narrowed his eyes.

Coal felt the fog somewhat lift as Uther reached out and grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him to his feet.

"Tell me now!" Uther yelled.

Loud sounds were not good for Coal at the moment. Uther's yelling brought on a much larger headache for Coal. Coal gritted his teeth as he tried to cover his ears.

"Too loud is it?" Uther yelled. Uther wanted answers and he wanted them now. How was this little snot able to use his magic so freely? "You will answer me!" Uther yelled again.

Coal couldn't take anymore yelling. He squinted his eyes at Uther before reaching out and shoving the palm of his hand on Uther's forehead. A flash of blue formed between Coal's hand and Uther's head.

Uther let out a cry of pain before shoving Coal away. He grasped at his head and felt his mind cluster.

Coal tried to catch his breath as he sat on the ground watching Uther. "Thought we might even the playing field." Cal mustered.

Uther shot an angered look at Coal as he stood back up. "You're going to pay for that." Uther warned.

Coal shook his head, "Or we can call it a tie." He shrugged as he finally caught his breath. "You know, that way everyone wins." Coal added.

Uther went to rush at Coal as Coal reached out once more. Uther knocked his hand away knowing that Coal was going to press more of Gold's memories on him, but he wasn't ready for Coal's left hand. Coal connected his hand to Uther's head once more and that blue light flashed a lot brighter this time.

Uther went to pull away but was locked into the magic. After a few moments Coal removed his hand and Uther fell to his knees. Coal had to catch his breath once again as he pushed himself off the ground. Now the table had turned. But this didn't mean Uther would be down for long.

Coal had to use this time wisely as he turned to the ice that separate him from Edith and Regina. With a flick in his wrists he stood in front of the frozen door and reached out his hands. A steam of fire similar to his mother's stretched out and made contact with the ice. He couldn't just undo Uther's spell, certain magic could not be undone so easily. It would be faster this way and less harmful to those that were caught in the ice as well.

The ice was now really starting to melt and Regina could actually see the door way opening up.

Edith smirked as the two worked together. "It's working." She exclaimed.

"But it's not done yet." Regina added. Halfway was only halfway.

Just as the doorway was opened Coal and Regina stopped their fire. Both felt a wave of relief flow over them as the ice continued to melt around them.

"Coal!" Edith yelled.

Edith and Regina caught the movement from Uther out of the corner of their eyes. He rushed to his feet and wrapped an arm around Coal's waist. throwing him with a large amount of power at the back wall to the room.

The wall shattered as Coal's body rushed out of the room and out to the ground below.

A loud crash was heard along with a car alarm as Coal landed on a yellow bug. Uther waited no time and jumped down from the second story to the parking lot below. With his cane in hand he landed on one knee. He looked up to where Coal had landed and started to make his way to the boy. "Don't think this is over." Uther waved his cane and a large fire ball was formed. He spun around, using the momentum to hurl the fire ball at Coal.

It was times like these Coal appreciated his magic. A blow like that would have killed or seriously harmed another. But his kind of magic gave him a strong defense.

Just as the fire was about to hit him, Coal moved as fast as he could off the car. He hit the ground and covered himself as best as he could once the fire hit. The yellow bug wasn't so lucky as the fire almost destroyed the rest of the car.

Coal scrambled to his feet feeling a few things that shouldn't be hurting. he grasped a hand to the side of his ribs as he ran. He couldn't fight this guy. He knew what kind of power he had and knew what would happen if he actually tried to fight him.

But he had to do something. Coal stumbled and fell into the side of a car. His mind crying out to him to stop moving. Blue and black sparks formed in his right hand and he turned around to throw something back at Uther.

Uther merely stepped to one side and shook his head with an amused chuckle. "You are no match for me child." He stated. As he formed another ball of fire with his cane.

"I don't need to be a match for you." Coal called back.

Uther smiled.

"I just have to distract you." Coal smirked.

Uther's smile left as he rose a brow at Coal's words. He looked behind him to find nothing, as he was expecting something. when he looked back to Coal, Coal was once more on the move. Uther huffed as he gave more power to his fire. "No more games!" He was more than annoyed as he launched the fire straight at Coal.

Coal hugged the ground rather quickly as the fire hit another car next to him. He was running on luck at this point. He went to get up but cried out as his ribs hurt even more.

Uther made his way over to Coal and found the boy on the ground in pain. He went over and knelled down next to him. Reached out he took a handful of Coal's hair and pulled. Now that they were meeting face to face once again, Uther was not going to let Coal get the better of him. "I will get my answers." Uther placed a hand on Coal's forehead.

A jolt of energy struck both of them as Uther started to pull memories from Coal's mind. Not knowing anything really about Coal, he had to start from the present and work his way back quickly.

Only a few seconds would be needed, but something snapped. His connection to Coal broke with a flash of green and purple. He felt a force strike him hard as he hit the ground far from Coal.

Uther pushed himself up into a sitting position and blinked at the person now standing between him and Coal. "Morgana." He hissed.

Morgana stood in front of Coal as she locked onto Uther. Her white mask still kept over her face did not fool Uther. Uther got to his feet and went to pick up his cane, but a small fire ball stopped him. Regina and Edit had finally entered into the fight once more. "You will not lay another hand on him." Regina warned. Edith flipped her staff around and got into a fighting stance. "That goes for you too Morgana." Edith warned as well.

Morgana moved her attention to both Edith and Regina. with a small wave of her hand she vanished into a cloud of smoke. Leaving them to finish off Uther in this little fight.

Uther rolled his lower lip as he laughed at the situation. "How amusing is this?" he asked as Edith rushed to stand between Uther and Coal. Regina still kept her guard up as she slowly started to move towards Edith and Coal.

"Your magic is no match for me." Uther told Regina as she now joined Coal and Edith.

Regina rose a brow, "Really?" she asked as she pushed all of her might and energy into her attack.

With a split second Uther reached out for his cane. It snapped into his hand from the ground and he too released as much power and magic as he could muster.

Both forces rushed at one another clashing so hard that the ground started to shake. Neither one would step down from this match of power and magic. Instead they forced more into it, this time the ground below them started to split and break.

Edit had to take a step back as her eyes widened at the sight. She had seen this once before. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as she had to stop them.

But it was too late...

Just as she reached out to grab her mother... Regina was gone and so was Uther.

Her eyes frantically searched the area as fast as she could. "Mom?" She whispered. "MOM!?" She then cried out.

But both were far, far away... To where they could not hear her.


	24. The Past vs The Present

Her head pounded as the world spun before her. He slowly pushed herself off the grass ground in hopes to place things together fast. But when she looked around she noticed that she wasn't in Storybrooke anymore. Trees and grass surrounded her and the air smelt fresh.

Her eyes landed on Uther who was starting to wake up just like her. She rushed to her feet and readied herself for another fight with him. "Where are we?" She demanded.

Uther looked about as he dusted himself off. "Your guess is as good as mine." He huffed as he got to his feet. He looked around and grumbled. "This fight is far from over." He told her.

Regina felt the same way as she watched him.

Uther cursed in his head that the boy had slipped through his fingers.

Both turned at the sound of someone approaching them. "Over here! I think I found them!" A voice called out as a guard moved through the brush to get to Regina and Uther. "We have been searching everywhere for you." The guard bowed.

Regina smirked as she recognized the uniforms. They had to be in the Enchanted forest. "And now that you have, you can arrest him." She pointed to Uther.

Uther rolled his eyes and looked to Regina. as if a puny guard could ever arrest him.

The guard looked shocked at her words and failed to move to arrest Uther.

"Did I stutter?" she asked a bit annoyed. Weather or not they could actually arrest him, Uther might get a hint and leave. That way she could find out how to get back to Storybrooke before he did.

"No, but..." The guard looked form Uther to Regina and then back, "You want us to arrest the king?" he asked as more soldiers made their way over to them.

Uther laughed and clasped his hands together, "How amusing is this?" he smirked. Uther turned to Regina, "Guards..." He was having way too much fun with this. "Take her away." He folded his arms as he watched the smirk run from her face. Anger settled into her eyes which threw off a spark in Uther's chest. She did look good in anger.

Once more the guards seemed to be hesitant.

Uther cleared his throat as he motioned to Regina. "She's standing right there." He motioned with a bickering smile.

"You want us to arrest the Queen?" The guard stuttered a bit.

Both Regina and Uther looked to the guards in utter shock. "What?" they both asked at the same time.

The guards seemed just as confused. "You want us to arrest the king and the King wishes us to arrest the Queen?" the guard asked.

Regina looked to Uther as Uther looked to Regina. Both were shocked at what they were hearing.

"Who is in charge here?" Regina finally looked away from Uther and turned to the guards.

"Why... You are your majesty." The guard informed her.

Regina turned to Uther and was about to say something when the guard spoke up again, "And so is the King." He slowly pointed to Uther.

Regina tried to force her confusion out of her head as best as she could. "Where are we?" she demanded.

"The Enchanted Forest your majesty." The guard stated as he felt even more confused about the situation.

"I'll take it from here." A voice came from the back of the pack of guards. A woman cut through the crowd and stood before Uther and Regina. Her hair was a dark red and was curled very neatly. It reached her shoulders and some of it was pulled back into a half up half down look. Leaving her bangs to help frame her look. She had on mostly red with a dash of gold here or there. But the symbol she held upon her silverish armor was not of the Enchanted Forest. A lion, proud and bold. She bowed to them both as she turned to the guards.

"Morgana must have been here." She told the soldiers. "And has possibly placed a memory curse on King and Queen." She told them. "No one must know of this." She added. She looked back over her should to Regina and Uther. "We shall take them back to the castle immediately in hopes that we can help cure them before word gets out." She gave Regina and Uther a strong look before turning back to the guards. "Off with you now." She gave a stern look.

The guards were quick to move as they rushed back to the other guards that were still off in the woods.

The woman slowly turned back to Uther and Regina.

"And who are you?" Regina asked.

The woman smirked as she bowed to them. "I am known as Milady De Winter. But most just call me Milady." She smirked at her own introduction. "I was sent to you by King Louis, to help aid you in the fight against Morgana." She added.

Regina glanced to Uther and then back to Milady.

"Before you speak." Milady interrupted the questions in Regina's head. "I already know that you are not the King and Queen of this time." She told them.

Regina let her shoulders drop, "And what is this time?" she asked.

Milady smirked, "Why the future of course."

Both Regina and Uther glanced to one another not sure how to approach this.

...

As they walked through the woods Milady lead the way, with Regina and Uther close behind her. "You have given instructions in great detail as to what has to happen." Milady started to explain. "And we have no time to waist." She added as she glanced back to them.

Regina rolled her lips as she narrowed her eyes, "What instructions?" she asked.

"Your's of course..." Milady paused as she also glanced to Uther. "Well, both of your instructions." She added.

"If we are in the future, then where are our future selves?" Uther asked.

Milady stopped and turned to face them. The look on her face was not a good one, more of a sad one at that. "Morgana has already taken your future selves." She frowned deeply. "I was there..." She had to look away from them. "But all hope is not lost." She finally looked back to them. "Finding you here already brings hope back to this realm." she nodded. She turned back and started to lead them through the woods once more.

"Wait, what do you mean Morgana already has our future selves?" Regina asked as she rushed to catch up to Milady.

Milady stopped and turned to both the King and Queen. She let out a deep breath, "How about we get ya home before we continue with this conversation?" She glanced around at other soldiers wandering about, gathering together to escort Regina and Uther back to the castle. "Too many wandering eyes and ears while we are out in the open." she told them.

Uther gave Milady a dull look before turning to Regina. "Ladies first." He motioned with his cane.

Regina narrowed her eyes, "fine." she gave into the situation for the moment. "But once there, you will... Explain everything." She pointed to Milady.

Milady nodded with a bow to both of them. "The future depends on it." She told them both.

...

Regina, Uther and Milady found themselves in a carriage taking them to Regina's old castle... But the castle looked much different then what she remembered. It looked bigger and much more brighter. The villages around it had blossomed and more people seemed to be living closer to it. Her eyes gazed up at it through the carriage window making her heart melt a bit. Some of the peasant children from the passing villages rushed to great and wave at the carriage.

Regina at first felt greatly confused, but their young and bright smiles warmed her heart as she waved back to them.

When they reached the palace gates Milady smirked. "For one of you, you already know what is waiting for ye at the castle." She glanced to Regina. "While the other... This may come as a shock." she shifted her eyes towards Uther.

Uther had been playing along this whole time, but now he was feeling like the game was going to get very serious. "And what might that be?" He asked as the carriage came up to the castle. The door opened for them to get out and Milady had yet to answer Uther's question.

Regina was the first out leaving Milady and Uther.

Milady smirked at the King. "You might want to embrace yourself." She stated before leaving the carriage.

Uther watched her leave and then slowly stepped out of the carriage. His eyes looking up at he castle an then to Milady and Regina who were making their way to the main doors. He was not sure what to make of all this and what was this little surprise?

As they entered the castle many were there to great them. Mostly servants or guards, but something else felt like it was coming...

Regina and Uther heard footsteps, tiny ones...

"Mom!" two voices rung out as two young children rushed over to Regina and Uther.

Regina looked down at them and felt her heart flutter. She wasn't exactly ready for this, but here they were. Coal and Edith... But they were younger, much younger.

Regina couldn't help but kneel down and open her arms up to them as they rushed over to her and wrapped their tiny arms around her. When she pulled away slightly from the hug she couldn't help but notice the difference from the two she had already meet.

Coal had to be around the age of ten or eleven while Edith was eight or nine.

Uther watched as Regina hugged the two children and immediately recognized Coal. Despite his age and looks, he could still feel it, his magic illuminating from the young boy.

"Daddie!" The little girl screeched out before launching herself at him. Uther was taken back by the girl's force as she wrapped her tiny arms around him.

Regina watched as Edith hugged Uther tightly. Even if she was seeing her children at a younger age... She couldn't help but feel strange inside. Was all of this real? She watched as Uther tried to pry Edith off of him, which made her doubt her thoughts. How could this man be the father to her future children? If that was really the case.

She watched as Coal left her arms and went over to help Edith hug Uther. But Uther was quick with the much slower Coal. He reached out and placed a hand on Coal's face holding him back while Edith slid down and was now latched onto his leg.

"Come on..." Coal grumbled into Uther's hand.

Regina couldn't help but laugh at this sight for some reason.

"Why are you laughing?" Uther warned to Regina.

"If only you could see what I see." She mocked.

Uther snarled at her remark as he shoved Coal aside and quickly snatched up Edith and placed her next to Coal. "That's enough." Uther stated to them.

Coal looked a bit angered and confused as Edith's face turned sad. "Awww..." Edith whined. "But Daddie?" Edith tried to protest.

"Nope..." Uther shook his head at them as he head up a finger. "No..." He added.

Coal narrowed his eyes as Edith pouted her lips.

Regina folded her arms at this and turned to Uther, "They are just kids." She told him.

Uther turned form Edith and Coal to look to Regina. He was about to say something when Edith was quick once more. Knocking the man off his feet and onto the ground. She laughed as she crawled about and wrapped her arms around him once again. "No means yes!" Edith raised a fist in the air as if she had achieved victory.

"No... No means no." Uther once more tried to pull her off of him. He failed miserably when Coal entered into the game. But no words came from the boy. Instead his face still looked angry as he too tackled his father into a hug.

Regina had to laugh as Coal looked like a little angry bear cub hugging Uther. Like he was determined to get what he wanted.

Milady placed a hand on Regina's shoulder. "I think we should talk now." She told them.

Regina nodded as she and Milady looked back to Uther, Coal and Edith.

...

Uther continued to brush off his clothes as the three stood in Regina's room... Which didn't seem like just her room anymore.

"They are just children. Get over it." Regina told Uther.

Uther paused in his actions and looked to Regina. "They are your children." He pointed out.

"And yours." Milady looked to Uther.

Uther had to paused yet again. This time he forced a smile and a laugh. "I don't have any children." He pointed out to them. "Actually, better yet, I can't have any children." He stated.

Regina folded her arms as she rolled her eyes, "I can't have any children either, but here we are." She looked to him.

Uther smirked at her words as he leaned over to Regina. "Don't think this changes anything, I'm still going to kill that little brat." He hissed at her.

"Over my dead body." She stated sternly.

Uther only gave her a small smile.

"You both are already captured by Morgana." Milady interrupted them.

Both looked to her.

Uther wanted to laugh even more. "Morgana is no match for me." He leaned against the desk in the room.

"You might want to get off of that high horse of yours." Milady stated harshly to Uther.

Uther narrowed his eyes at Milady.

"There is more at stake here than ya think." She stated. "For one, that brat ya so much want to kill... He is 'your' son." She narrowed her eyes. "So get over it and except it." She added.

Uther gave Milady a very dull and serious look. "I have no children." He stated.

"You told me you'd be difficult, but you didn't mention that you'd be an ass." She sneered.

"What do you mean by we told you?" Regina asked.

Milady felt a bit relieved that one of them was on the same page, meanwhile the other wasn't even in the same library. She took in a deep breath before speaking. "Some time ago, soon after Morgana had finally made her mark, you both approached me about this day." She looked to both of them.

"Morgana has already taken the both of you... Where to... We don't know." She said sadly. "But you told me that your past selves would one day appear." She frowned a little. "Learning what you can now will help you defeat Morgana, is what you told me." She glanced to her feet before looking back to them. "My job is to make sure you both are well informed." She made eye contact with both of them as Uther and Regina seemed to have different thoughts on the matter.

"Why don't I start at the beginning?" she asked.

Regina nodded as Uther still seemed very much not about this.

...

Meanwhile...

"Oww, ow, ow, ow, ow..." Coal hissed as Killian helped Coal onto their couch at his and Emma's place. "Don't be such a jelly fish." Killian complimented Coal, as Coal held onto his ribs.

David helped Emma into the house and placed her in the chair across from Coal. "Who the hell was that?" she asked as she was out of breath. "And why didn't my magic work?" she added.

All eyes launched themselves at Coal as Edith sat down next to the couch where Coal was.

"Not to mention where is Regina?" Emma added.

Coal tried to calm his breathing as every breath hurt, he glanced to Edith who wasn't even sure as to what had happen to their mother... And their father.

"I want answers now." Emma roared which she immediately regretted as she felt a shock wave pulse through her already throbbing body. Both were worse for wear, but Emma wasn't going to be playing anymore games. "This Uther guy... You know him." Emma pointed out. She could see it all over their faces. "Talk." She once more regretted her tone of voice.

"Regina is our mother." Edith started to speak up.

"We already know that." Killian pointed out.

Edith glanced to Coal as Coal gave her a strong warning look. But Edith had to say it.

"Uther... Is our father..." She glanced to the floor before looking up to everyone. She could tell the room was not prepared for such information. She slowly turned back to Coal and saw the anger and disappointment in his eyes. But she felt that the more they held back the truth, the worst things would get from here on out.

"Regina and Uther... Are our parents..." She looked to them hoping the second round of hearing it might help the situation.


	25. A New Threat

Milady tilted her head as she watched the two.

"So... Let me get this straight." Uther brushed his tongue over his lips. "Two of the most powerful-est Villains in all the realms got together, and despite the fact that they both could not have children... Have a son and a daughter." Uther glanced to Regina and then looked to Milady.

"That's the story you told me." She shrugged.

"It's not exactly very detailed now is it?" Uther asked.

"You weren't very specific with detail." Milady brushed off. "But the details concerning this war seemed more important to you at the time." She looked to her nails. "And then there was your children." she added glancing up from her nails.

"What about them?" Regina asked.

Milady looked back to her nails as she took a moment for herself. "Morgana doesn't exactly work alone." She hushed a bit.

Regina was taken back by this. "What do you mean, she doesn't work alone?" She asked. Ever since Coal and Edith showed up, all they had mentioned was Morgana.

"You mentioned that Coal and Edith wouldn't even know about this." She pointed out.

Uther rolled his eyes as he looked about the room. Regina seemed well connected to the topic, but for him... He had only just joined this little whirlwind adventure. He saw no real connection to the little brats and could never see himself actually liking them either.

"This is new information as it seems. The last time you both went off to fight Morgana, well second to last time, you told me about another." She looked to Regina as Uther seemed miles away. "A man that pulled strings... A man named Rasputin." She hissed his name.

Uther slowly turned back to the conversation as the name tickled his anger. "Rasputin?" he asked.

"You know him?" Regina asked. She was a bit relieved that Uther was finally joining in on the conversation.

"Know him?" Uther questioned her question. He looked back to Milady, "He should be dead."

Milady shifted her eyes towards Uther, "You said that after that battle." She told him.

Regina was all too curious over everything, but one thing stood out above all her other questions. "Where are we?" she asked.

Both Uther and Milady looked to her, blank looks on their faces. "The future?" Milady shrugged.

"No." Regina held up her hands. "Our future selves... Where are they?" She asked.

Uther was finally in the same book on the same page as Regina as he looked to Milady.

Milady frowned as she already knew the answer to this question, but also didn't know how to answer. "Your last battle with Morgana didn't exactly go as planned." She told them. "I tried my best, but it was too late." she hung her head and placed her hands at her side.

"Did we die?" Uther asked. He sounded a bit angered... Or possibly offended by the fact that he was beaten in a battle.

"No." Milady clearly stated. "But you are not alive either."

"How is that possible?" Regina asked.

"Limbo." Uther stated.

"I have been to hell and back. And truest me, even if it's a pain to get back, I'm sure our future selves can find a way to do so." She assured Uther.

But Uther didn't seem to eager to heed her words. "Not the limbo controlled by Hades." Uther turned to her. "This limbo was designed especially for people like us. Villains. Villains who crossed the line of no return. Villains who could never change because of what they had done." He told her.

Regina could recall her time in Hell with her mother. Her mother was able to finish her unfinished business and move onto a better place. And all the Villains that were there... Meant that they could change...

"So we are trapped there?" she asked.

Milady frowned at Regina's words. "Unjust-fully."

"How do we get ourselves out of there?" She asked.

"You don't." Uther answered before Milady could.

"Then how is this Rasputin guy back, if he was sent there?" Regina asked.

That was indeed a good question. Uther was curious as to how that snake of a man could have escaped.

Milady shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"Well that wasn't very useful." Uther stated. He knew they were all thinking it, he just said it.

"The fact that we can't free your future selves, yeah, not very useful." Milady stated. "But, then there is the matter of your son... Coal."

Both looked to Milady. "So there is more." Regina spoke up.

"After that battle, you came to understand what Morgana was after." Milady told them.

"So they are after Coal?" She asked.

"You mean the brat?" Uther asked.

Regina just gave Uther a warning look.

"His heart to be exact." Milady looked to Regina. "Not sure why, but Morgana seemed more than determined to take his heart." She added.

Uther and Regina both looked to one another. Milady didn't have the answer they wanted and the question 'why' would stay a mystery until they got down to the bottom of things.

...

Emma pinched her lips together as Edith had explained as much as she could. "So, after your parents went missing, you had to continue this battle with Morgana." Emma stated. "You need her heart to stop her which is why you time traveled back to this time in hopes you could learn how to take her heart." Emma slowly nodded.

"He's not very good at it either." Killian spoke up.

"You knew about this?" Merry Margret asked as all eyes turned to Hook.

"Well it's not like I knew for a long time. Regina just started teaching him this morning." He stated with a huff of breath. "Not to mention that I was the guinea pig."

Emma gave Hook a look as she wasn't sure how to respond to that last bit of information. Killian sighed, "It's what it sounds like, but also... not..." Killian wished he had better words for what happen earlier that day, but he didn't.

"The fact is, that Regina is missing along with this Uther guy. Morgan is still at large and we don't have much to go off of." David spoke up trying to make sense of everything.

"Do we even know who she is? Under the mask?" Merry Margret looked to Coal and Edith.

Coal shook his head, "We've never seen her face." Coal hushed.

Everyone in the room felt lost even more than where they had started. Even with the whole story, they weren't anywhere near closer to solving anything.

"I'm gonna go check on Gold and Belle." David stated as he needed some fresh air. "I'll then go to Granny's and get us all something to eat." He added.

"I'll go with." Merry Margret quickly joined the new quest for food. To be honest to herself, she too needed some fresh air. Everyone really did. But with Emma and Coal down for the count at the moment, they had to do with what they had.

As the two left they stayed quiet for a moment. Things were getting a bit much by the second.

"Do you think we can beat her?" Merry Margret asked as they went to get in the car.

David stopped and looked to Snow. He had to think for a second, but he honestly believed in them. With Emma and the rest of their family, there was nothing they hadn't over come before. "Through everything we have been through, I'm sure we can get through this." He told her as they both got into the car.

"I know, but if they came from the future and our future selves couldn't defeat her... What's to say that we can?" She asked. She looked to him with desperate eyes. David knew that look. It was very rare that Snow ever showed worry, but he too had his doubt.

He reached out and pulled Snow close as he gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. "I have faith in us." He told her.

Merry Margret gave him a soft smile as David turned on the car and began to drive. It didn't take them long to get to Gold's shop. After the fight and after the two became unfrozen, Belle took Gold back to his shop. She said she felt safe there.

"Hello?" David called out as they entered the shop.

Belle came quickly from the back room to great them. "We're back here." she told them as she lead the way to the back.

"We came to check up on the two of you." Merry Margret stated as they made their way to the back. Rumple was laying on the bed, but the look on his face showed pure anger.

"How are you feeling?" Merry Margret asked.

Gold twisted his lips as he looked to her. The look on his face said it all.

"Well it's good to know that you're not dead." David tried to lighten the mood.

"Someone will be dead once I'm able to leave this bed." Rumple warned.

"When we find him, we'll let you know where he is." David added.

"No need, I'll find him myself." Rumple hissed.

Merry Margret paused before speaking, "Could you be able to find Regina too?" She asked.

Belle blinked, "So she's really missing?" She asked.

Both nodded.

"What ever it was... Yeah... Regina is missing too." David frowned.

Belle glanced to Rumple before turning back to David and Merry Margret. "I know rumple isn't in any condition to help... But I might know someone who can." She told them.

"Who?" Merry Margret asked.

"The same person who helped me." She lightly smiled. "His name is Quasimodo."


	26. Second Chance Angel

The next morning Regina awoke to such a familiar smell. Her old room in her old castle. But things were much different now. It all wasn't just hers anymore. She sat up and looked around to find Uther sleeping on the couch across the room. He did not look comfortable, but it served him right. Trying to kill her son. She wouldn't stand for it.

As she went to get out of bed she quickly noticed what she was wearing. She didn't really want him to see her in her sleep wear, she had only just met the guy. With a wave of her hand and puff of purple smoke, her clothing changed. Feeling better about how she was dressed she slipped off the side of the bed and made her way to her vanity.

She sat down and looked over her things. Perfumes and jewelry clustered in an orderly fashion. She reached out for one of the bottles and popped the top off. The smell touched her nose bringing back memories from when she use to rule the kingdom.

She paused when she noticed something mixed in with her bracelets. She reached for it and picked up the bracelet in hand. It looked like a child had made it. The beads were cheap and it was put together in a messy fashion. As she played with the beads a bit, she noticed letters on them. 'I 3 Mommy' were carved into the beads.

She smiled as she held the bracelet. She couldn't say why, but it touched her heart so deeply that she didn't even noticed Uther waking up.

Uther rolled over and was quick to spot Regina at her vanity, looking at something. He slowly got up and made his way over to her. Looking over her shoulder he spotted the bracelet. "Which one made that?" he asked.

Regina jumped as she was startled by him. "I'm not sure." She hissed. "But it's none of your business as you don't seem to like either of them." She stated as she quickly placed the bracelet on her wrist.

She got up and went to move away from him only for him to be standing in her way. He went to move out of her way just as she went to move around him. The two were stuck in the little pattered for a moment until Regina got feed up. "Don't." she pointed at him. "move." she added as she side stepped around him.

Once past him she started to make her way to the door.

"I didn't say I hated both of them." Uther called out to her.

Regina turned around.

"The girl seems alright..." He admitted.

Regina narrowed her eyes at this.

She was about to say something when the doors to her room busted open and a little Edith covered in mud rushed into the room. "I did it! I did it!" She called out as she ran past Regina and straight for Uther.

"Speak of the devil." Uther gave a mocking look to Regina. He knelled down as Edith came to a startling halt in front of him. "And what did you do?" He asked looking her over. "I'm sure this involves mud." He sounded very amused as he placed a fist under his chin. Edith laughed as she twisted her fingers together.

The pure smile on her face made him smile as he waited her answer. But he was quick to notice this and changed the look on his face to a serious one.

"I woke up Coal." Edith giggled.

Uther looked to Regina and then back to Edith. "With mud?" he asked. This time he couldn't hide his amusement. "Please tell me with mud." Uther encouraged.

Edith snickered as she tried to hold back her laugh.

"She woke him up with mud." Uther turned to Regina with bright eyes as he stood up and picked up Edith into his arms. He walked over to Regina and stopped about a foot away from her. "I'll play along for now." he glanced to the muddy Edith before turning back to Regina. He leaned in "this might be more fun than just killing him." He whispered into her ear. He then gave her a peck on the check before heading for the door. "I love you darling!" He called back.

Regina stood there wide eyed. He was mocking her. And he was going to torment her son.

She would not stand for this. "Get back here." She called back to them. "Both of you... Right now!" she stormed after them.

Regina tried to keep up with them, she followed them as they turned the corner down the hall and when she did, they were gone. She looked around frantically. This mad man had her child and he was after the other. Anger spilled out of her eyes as she would not give up the hunt. She made her way through the castle only to eventually come face to face with Milady.

Regina jumped at the sight and placed a hand on her chest. "You scared me." She caught her breath.

Milady shrugged, "Don't get offended, I have that effect on people." She stated as she looked to the right of her.

A young Coal stood next to Milady covered in mud. Quiet and held a very shameful look on his face. Regina frowned at the sight and quickly knelled on the floor in front of Coal. "... Aw, look at you." she waved her hand and a cloth appeared in her hand. She started to wipe the mud off his face when she noticed that the look on his face didn't change. She felt bad. "It's ok." She tried to cheer him up.

"I'll leave two alone then." Milady stated as she took a step back and started to leave.

Regina went to stop her, only for Milady to call back to her without turning around. "I'm sure you got this."

Regina let her shoulders drop as she turned back to Coal.

Coal slowly looked up to her as Regina sat on the ground not sure what to do. Coal was not Henry, and she knew how to cheer up Henry. When she looked at Coal she wasn't sure what to do.

Those big bright blue eyes watching her as she felt useless.

But as their eyes meet, Regina recalled their moment in her crypt. Coal opened up when it was just the two of them... Doing magic.

Regina smiled as she moved closer to Coal. She picked up his muddy hands in hers, "She got you didn't she?" She asked.

Coal frowned his brows as he looked away from her. Regina was quick to take his chin and turn his attention back to her. "Lets see if we can prevent this from ever happening again." she smiled to him.

She moved his hands so she could get a better look at him, "But first." She waved her hand and Coal was no longer muddy. She looked to the cloth and rolled her eyes, "Should have just used that spell huh?" she asked.

Coal tried his best to hold back a small smile as he nodded.

Regina wanted him to smile. But Coal seemed to be the tougher one out of the two. "How about we spend the day together? Just you and me?" she asked.

Coal slowly nodded.

"We can practice magic?" she asked.

Coal looked up to her and gave her the tiniest of smiles as he nodded. "Come on..." She stood up and held out her hand to him. Coal took her hand rather quickly as she started to lead the way down the hall. Every time she looked back at him, she would catch him looking up to her. Henry would have done the same at this age, but at that time... She was still the Evil Queen.

She never thought she would get a second chance at this.

...

"We could have just puffed up the stairs... But Nnnooooo... Someone had to go waist all their magic on a crocodile." Edith complained.

"For the hundredth time, I didn't waist my magic." Coal rolled his eyes.

"Nooo... You just burnt out." Edith snapped as they neared the top of the tower.

"Can we all not argue." Emma held up her hand. She was so glad that these two were not her kids. They bickered the whole way there and then some.

"Is he even here?" Killian asked as he looked up to Belle who was leading them up the stairs.

"I think so... I mean... Where else could he go?" Belle shrugged. She figured he might still be in the clock tower as it seemed like his home. "just one more flight though." She reassured them.

Belle and Edith both suddenly screamed as something large dropped from no where and landed on the rails next to them. Edith feel back landing into Emma and Killian, which created a domino effect. Coal was shoved closer to the rail and felt gravity take over as it pulled him over the side of the rail. He wasn't in the right state of mind to be thinking clearly as he felt the ground wanting to great him at a fast rate. He closed his eyes tightly as the pain in his ribs grasped more than his attention.

Coal slowly opened his eyes to find himself dangling in mid air. Emma and Killian had pressed themselves against the wall. Killian had his hand wrapped around Emma making sure she didn't fall down the stairs as Belle and Edith were literally hugging one another.

Coal looked up to find a hand wrapped tightly around one of his ankles. Holding him up so he wouldn't fall. His eyes trialed to the person holding him and he sighed with relief. "I'm so glad to see you." he said to Quasi.

Quasi rose a brow as he looked from Coal over to Belle and Edith.

"Guys, this is Quasimodo, Quasi... Meet the gang." Belle stuttered a bit as she was still a bit shocked.

"Quasi!" Edith quickly let go of Bell and rushed over to wrap her arms around the hunchback. "Aww... I've missed you." Edith said as she tightened her hug around him.

"So glad that we get to hang out again." Coal nodded as he looked back to the ground that was still a long ways away.

"Ha, ha, hang out." Edith laughed a little at Coal.

Quasi looked around at them with blank stares. "Do I know you?" he asked as he lifted Coal up a bit.

Killian reached out and took hold of Coal, bringing him back over the rail. "Well, it seems like they know you, mate." He said as Coal held onto his ribs.

"Hold the phone." Emma rushed her hands up. "How do you both know him? Cus it clearly seems like he doesn't know you." She pointed out the elephant in the room.

Edith smiled as she brushed a bit of red hair from Quasi's good eye. "He's an old friend of the family's." Edith stated as she looked back to the other. She noticed the blank looks on everyone's faces, even Quasi's.

"He's also Coal's only friend." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I have more than one friend." Coal was quick to retaliate.

"Really? Name one." Edith gave him a curious look.

Coal huffed as he shook his head. "Fine, I only have one friend." He caved. "And there he is." He motioned to Quasi.

Quasi tilted his head as he looked to Coal. "How can we be friends if I have never meet you?" He asked confused.

Coal looked from Quasi to Edith, "Happy I have no friends?" he asked her.

Killian placed his hook on Coal's shoulder. "Sucks to be you mate." he stated, sounding sincere. "But don't get your hopes down.. I'll be your friend." he told Coal.

Coal and Emma couldn't tell if Killian was joking or not.

"You will?" Emma asked.

"Yeah why not? Every lad needs a friend. And judging by his record so far... He desperately needs one." Killian smiled to Coal.

Coal sighed, "Sure, I'll be friends with the one handed pirate." He waved a hand sarcastically.

"See... now that hurt." Killian pointed out as Coal walked past him. Emma patted Killian on the shoulder as they all started to head up the stairs again. "No wonder you don't have any friends." Killian added.

"Not to mention he tried to take my heart a few times." Killian had to push.

"It's not like I was anywhere near successful." Coal responded.

Killian smiled at this. "With a bit more practice you might win me over." Killian smirked. "Maybe next time you could buy me a drink first too."

Emma tried to hide her smirk as she looked back at Killian.

Once in the room they were quick to notice all the things gathered around the room. The art on the wall and the colorful broken glass hanging from the ceiling.

"Sorry, I brought so many people." Belle started to apologist to Quasi. "But we need some answers." She told him.

"And we were hoping you could help us." Emma spoke up.

Quasi was trying to pay attention to Belle and Emma, but was quick to grab Killian's hand when he went to touch one of the drawings. "Please don't touch that." Quasi quickly intervened the pirate.

"Sorry." Killian was quick to step back.

"He doesn't like his things being touched." Edith spoke to Killian.

"I can see that." He stated as he looked around. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Our friend is missing." Belle continued.

Quasi looked to Belle and rose a brow. "You mean the one with the dark magic?" he asked.

"Regina." Emma spoke up.

"Her and that Uther guy vanished the other night." Killian gave more information in hopes Quasi could figure out who they were talking about.

Coal walked over to the wall of pictures and pointed to the picture of Regina. "Her." He stated.

Quasi walked over and looked at the picture.

"You stop me from touching them, but you let him touch them?" Killian asked.

Quasi looked back to Killian strongly confused over the matter. "He said that we were friends."

Killian looked to Emma, "I give up." He stated. "What if I wanted to be your friend too?" Killian asked. He sounded a bit frustrated.

Quasi tilted his head as he looked to Coal and then back to Killian. "But I already have one." he pointed to Coal.

Coal smirked at this, "See... I do have friends." he stated looking to Edith.

"Friend, that means just one." She held up a finger.

"Can you help us find her or not?" Emma was starting to get a headache.

Quasi blinked as he looked back to Coal and the to the group. He slowly nodded.

"Thank god." Emma sighed as the rest of the room seemed relieved.

"But you wont be able to get to her." Quasi added.

"What do you mean that we can't get to her?" Belle asked.

Quasi took the picture and another picture of Uther. "They are both together, but not here." he told them.

Emma slowly curled her fingers into a ball. "We already know that. Where did they go?" she asked slowly.

Quasi pointed to Edith and Coal. "They went to where they are from." He watched Emma curiously.

"You mean the future?" Edith asked. Despite her lake of seriousness, Edith was smart... When she wanted to be.

Quasi nodded.

"So, how do we bring her back?" Belle asked.

"You can't bring back one, without the other." he told them.

"So we have to bring back mom and dad?" Edith asked.

Quasi nodded yet again.

"Well that was a dead end." Coal shrugged.

Emma narrowed her eyes at Coal.

"What? Everyone was thinking it." Coal shrugged.

"I liked you better when you didn't say anything." Emma nodded to Coal.

Coal raised up his hands and pinched his lips together. She didn't want him to talk, then he wouldn't talk.

"What about Emma's magic? Can you help us fix it?" Killian asked.

Quasi shook his head.

Once again another dead end.

"But he could." Quasi pointed to Coal.

All eyes landed on Coal.

"You could have helped and didn't say anything?" Emma asked. She was starting to sound mad.

"No one asked." Coal protested. "Plus you said not to say anything." He pointed out.

Emma went to storm off, but stormed right back and pointed at Coal. "I'm watching you." She stated before leaving the room. Killian tried to stop her, but she was on a rampage it seemed. "Emma?" he called out after her.

Coal sighed as Quasi patted him on the shoulder. "It's ok friend." He almost whispered to Coal.

"Thanks buddy." Coal responded as he just had to go along with it.

"See, one friend." Edith mocked as she went to follow Killian and Emma. Leaving Belle, Quasi and Coal behind.

A few moments passed after the others had left. Belle turned to Quasi and Coal. "What can we do?" she asked both of them.

Coal smirked as was the one to finally ask for his help. He glanced to Quasi before turning back to Belle. "Well there is one thing." he shrugged as he took in a deep breath. "But..."

"But what?" Belle asked.

"But... We're going to need more magic." He felt like he had just let her down a bit. Even if he had an idea in his head as to who could help.


	27. Playing Games

A tune played from a small music box that filled the lonely apartment. Katie sat at her coffee table with her eyes stuck in yet another book. Another book with yet no new lead.

She softly hummed to the song as she closed the book.

"Once upon a December..." She sung to herself ever so quietly.

She looked over the title of the book.

Anastasia...

Out of all the books, this one always seemed to fit her the most. A young princess who lost her family and her memories. She frowned as she trailed her fingers over the brown and gold on the cover of the book. She desperately wanted to know who she was.

A flash of that woman, the one that looked like her. She came and went so quickly. No answers, no questions. Katie sighed as she placed the book down next to the others. Katie let out a deep sigh as she got up off the floor. She reached her hands over her head and stretched as far as she could before dropping her hands to her sides.

She looked around her apartment as she made her way to the kitchen. She started to make herself a cup of coffee only to grumble and throw her head back. She looked down into the small glass sugar bowl, only to find no sugar. With instinct kicking in, she searched her cabinets for more sugar. She needed sugar... She needed coffee...

She huffed air into her cheeks when she came to the conclusion that there was no sugar in her apartment.

Slouching her shoulders she snatched the keys off her counter and slipped on her shoes, making her way out the door. Leaving the music bos still open and playing.

The tune softly and slowly came to an end only moments after she had left.

...

Emma threw her hands up in frustration as she stopped a at the sidewalk. Killian and Edith were close behind as Emma wasn't even sure how to handle her rage at the moment. The kid pinched her nerves to no end.

"He could have helped with Gold." She motioned in the air.

"Aye." Killian agreed.

"And he could have helped with... With this.." She motioned to her hands.

"Lets not go overboard, love." Killian tried to help calm Emma.

Edith shrugged, "Yeah... He kind of does that."

"You're not helping either." Killian gave Edith an emotionless look.

Edith shrugged. "Yeah but I'm not the one with magic." She gave him the same look back.

"What else can he do?" Emma asked. Her anger still linked to her tone.

Edith shrugged again. "I wasn't exactly invited to the magic lessons."

Emma huffed out a deep breath of air as she turned away from them and placed her hands on her hips. She was tired and frustrated. Not to mention what ever this thing Uther placed on her, it drained her energy every second.

"Look, Emma?" Killian walked over to her and placed his hand on her arm. "We now know that we can fix things." he tried to reassure her.

Emma placed a hand on her forehead as she shook her head a bit. "And Regina is somewhere in the future..."

"Regina can handle herself." Killian told her. "I mean, who has ever messed with the Evil Queen and got away with it?" he asked.

Emma let out a small breath this time. Killian had a point when it came to this kind of thing. Regina was strong, but they knew nothing of this Uther guy. Emma turned to Edith. "Your father..." She paused as she tried to focus on one question at a time.

"What's he like?" Emma asked Edith.

Edith blinked. "My dad?" She asked.

"Yeah this Uther guy." Killian motioned with his hook.

Edith was never really asked a question like that. Everyone knew her father. "I guess he's cool." She wasn't even sure of her answer. "I mean, he's a good dad." She couldn't really place any real words to what her father was like. Except that he instigated a lot things. A lot of things that drove her mother mad at times. But he was never bad.

"He was fun." She nodded.

"Fun?" Emma asked. She was shocked at the lack of information on the guy.

"Sorry." Edith lowered her head. "I wish I could be more help." She frowned.

Emma sighed, "don't beat yourself up kid." Emma found herself calming down, but she was still mad. Coal was one of the problems on top of everything else.

All eyes looked to the doors as Belle and Coal finally joined them. Coal walked over to Emma and held out his hand to her. "Here." he said calmly.

"What's this?" she asked.

Coal shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked to her. "That is a necklace." he forced a smile at her.

"Quasi made it." Belle tried to help.

Emma looked at the necklace, it was nothing more than just a flat stone tide to a thin leather strap.

"Coal enchanted it." Belle added. She sounded proud over it for some reason.

"Wear that, and it will slowly absorb my dad's magic." Coal told her. "With in a few hours, you should be right as rain."

Emma looked at the stone and then back to Coal. "Thanks..." She wasn't sure what else to say. It still didn't take him off her shit list.

Emma placed the necklace on and immediately started to feel her energy coming back to her. "What happens to the stone afterwards?" she asked.

Coal shrugged, "It will just turn to dust. It's not like it can hold his magic anyways. It's just to remove it."

The group fell silent for a moment as the air stared to clear a bit.

"So now what?" Emma asked.

"Granny's!" Edith raised a hand in the air. "I'm starving." She was quick to take the lead as the group followed. What else could they do at the moment. As they walked Emma looked down at the stone and then up to Killian. "I'll meet you guys there." She told him. Killian nodded and continued to walk, but had to look back when Emma reached out and stopped Coal.

Coal turned around at the touch from Emma. "What's up?" He asked as the group left them behind.

Emma licked her lips as she wanted more answers. "Can you help us get Regina back?" she asked. She felt weird asking him for help. He was sitting at the end of her list when it came to who she would ask for help. But here she was, doing that exact thing.

Coal wanted to say yes, but it was a bit more difficult than that. "They kind of have to get themselves back." Not the answer he was wanting to tell her. "But..." He noticed the small light growing in her eyes at his last word. "We might be able to communicate with her."

"How?" Emma wanted to know.

Coal hissed a breath in through his teeth, "Yeah, about that." He said slowly. He brought a hand to his chin and scratched the side of his face a bit. "I'm gonna need some help..."

"I can help." Emma snapped her words out.

Coal slowly shook his head. "It's more of a blood thing." He didn't want to really say anything yet. He looked back to make sure that of all people, Edith was the one farthest away from ear shot. He looked back to Emma. "I need my aunts help."

Emma looked confused for a second as she didn't place two and two together that quickly. "Zelena?" she asked.

Coal smiled, "Aunt Zelena."

...

Regina watched as Coal's little hands were quick to work. She was quick to notice the difference in him. He was so content and confident while doing magic it seemed. He knew exactly where everything was and could find any spell within the room in seconds. She only guessed that he had spent a lot of time in this room. Possibly with her future self.

Coal moved from the stool he was sitting on and went over to one of the cabinets. Once again she was taken back by how much he already knew.

"How many times have you been in this room?" Regina asked as Coal returned back to his seat with the new ingredient. She could tell that he was confused by the question as his emotions were well placed on his face. Not something she would see in the older Coal.

"Ummm..." Coal looked back to the table. "A lot?" He guessed. Wasn't a very good guess, but it would have to do.

"How many spells do you know?" Regina decided to change the question.

Coal smirked, "Does that include potions?" he asked.

Regina nodded.

Coal placed the ingredient down on the table as he thought. He even used his fingers to help count at some point. Regina couldn't help but smile at this.

Coal looked to her with a bright look in his eyes as he went to speak. But the bright look faded as his shoulders dropped. "A lot." he tried to place on a big smile.

"Too many to count?" Regina asked.

Coal just nodded.

"Let's see if we can find something you don't know." Regina was determined to try something new with Coal. Something her future self had yet to do.

She walked over to one of the large bookshelves and started to trail her hand over the books. "How about something from this book?" She asked as she pulled the book from the selves.

She turned back to Coal to find him shaking his head. "Why not? I love this book." She looked it over.

"We did that book last year." Coal pointed out.

"All of it?" She asked in a bit of shock.

Coal nodded.

"Well then..." Regina wasn't sure how to react to that. "How long did it take for us to get through it?" she asked as she placed the book back. For her it took her a few years to fully get done with it.

"About four months." Coal shrugged.

Regina paused in her motions as she felt a little jealous over the time slot. "Ok... How about this one?" She asked pulling another book from the shelf.

"Last Christmas." Coal smiled.

Regina felt a hitch in her plan to do something new. She placed the book back and pointed to another random book. "This one?"

Coal held up two fingers. "Two years ago." He told her. She could see that little light beaming from his eyes once again. He was seeing this as a game.

She pointed to another book.

"Done." Coal said with a proud tone of voice.

Regina pointed to another on another bookshelf.

"Finished." Coal sighed. That cocky tone of voice was starting to make itself known.

Regina walked across the room and motioned to a whole bookshelf.

Coal just smiled even bigger.

"Is there anything in this room you haven't done?" she asked. She felt like giving up, but she wasn't going to. She was really determined now.

That smile on his face ran away as he looked around the room. He looked back to Regina shook his head.

Well that ruined her plans.

"I also finished Dad's room too." Coal frowned a bit. He turned in his seat and opened the bottle holding a tan looking root.

"You're father has a room?" She asked.

Coal nodded as he went to pick up a knife to cut the root.

"Will you show it to me?" she asked.

Coal stopped what he was doing and looked back to Regina. He slowly nodded as he wasn't sure why she would want to go to his father's room. She had been there plenty of times. So why would she want him to show her. But he wouldn't really question his mom. Instead he placed the knife down and slipped off his chair.

Coal lead the way through the castle and soon came to a room. He opened the doors and went inside with Regina close behind him. Regina could recall this room just being another room. Nothing special about it, it was just a big room. But when she walked in, she couldn't help but feel lost in another world of magic. So many books and things that she couldn't even start to wonder what they did.

Coal stood off to the side as he watched her.

"Does your father let you in here?" She asked.

Coal nodded. "He says 'practice makes perfect.'" Coal tried to repeat his father in a deep voice.

Regina lightly smiled at his impression of Uther. "And have you been practicing?" She asked.

Coal questioned the question. "If no one is perfect, then why practice?" He smirked.

Regina rose a brow.

"Yes." Coal threw his hands behind his back as he looked to the floor.

Regina now rose both brows, "And how is practice?" She asked.

Coal twisted his lips as he let his eyes look everywhere but at her. He finally gave up on trying to hold it back. "I promise I can do it." He looked to her with sad eyes. "it's just that..."

Regina felt her heart break a little at the sight of little Coal sad. "Well, that's why we practice right?" She walked over to him. "Why don't you show me what you are having problems with?" She asked as she leaned down to try and meet his eyes with hers at his level.

Coal twisted his fingers in front of his chest as he thought about her offer. "I guess." He pinched his fingers a bit.

Regina stood up and smiled. "Show me, maybe I can help."

...

The next thing she knew she was outside with Coal in the castle gardens. Coal stood a good ten feet away from her with his back turned towards her. In front of him was really just garden, beyond that was, well just more garden. But she couldn't help but notice a few things different from what she knew. For one, the spot Coal was facing once held flowers and even a great fountain. Now it was just an empty space, a very large empty space.

She watched as Coal just stood there. He brought his hands close together and held them there as he focused and concentrated.

Regina watched as his nails and his fingers began to turn black. The black started off small, but grew and started to cover his arms now. Her eyes looked back to the space between his hands as a black spark started to form. It was weak or maybe he was struggling with getting the spell started.

She went to take a step closer and say something to him when a rough hand grabbed her and pulled her back. Just as Coal's spell back fired and a pulse of energy scattered out.

Regina felt another behind her, shielding her from the pulse. She looked up to find Uther. His arms wrapped around her waist and Edith at their feet. She looked down to Edith who looked back up to her with a worried look.

Regina turned back to Uther and shoved his arms away. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

Uther looked over to Coal who was dusting himself off from the ground.

"Coal?" Regina went to go over to him, but Uther grabbed her arm once again, stopping her. "He's fine." Uther stated.

"You call that practicing?" Uther asked towards Coal. Coal looked over his shoulder to Uther with wide eyes. He quickly got to his feet and brushed what he could off quickly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Regina asked as she pulled Uther's attention back to her.

"That little brat, used magic more than four times today." He told her.

"We made a few potions." Regina corrected him.

Uther shook his head, "Not your magic, his magic." He stated.

Regina crossed her arms. "When did your magic become his magic?" she felt like she caught him in a moment.

Uther grumbled and looked back to Regina. "It's still my magic." He protested in his voice. He turned back to Coal, "And he's not using it right." He pointed out.

Regina rolled her eyes at this, "Then how is he suppose to use it?" she asked.

Uther smirked. "Like this." Uther stuck out his hand and released a large black spark right at Coal, but kept his eyes on Regina.

"Coal?!" Regina went to run after her son but Uther grabbed her just as the black lightning hit. A large cloud of dust and dirt covered the area making it hard for Regina to see Coal. Regina shoved Uther away and struck her fist hard onto his chest. "What are you thinking?!" She demanded.

Uther smirked with a small chuckle. "Tying up loose ends." he looked back to the cloud of dust that was now clearing. He couldn't help the cocky smirk when the smoke cleared and Coal was gone. He looked back to Regina, "Well that takes care of that."

Regina felt her breath get taken away by the empty spot where Coal once was. Her hands squeezed into balls of fists as she squinted her eyes and narrowed her brows. She slowly turned t Uther. "How could you?" She snipped between her teeth. Fire ignited from her fists as she glared at Uther.

Uther kept his silence as Regina displayed the beginning of her powers.

The more she thought about Coal being gone, the more her heart burned with anger.

Uther let out a cry as he felt electricity rush all over his body. He clenched his teeth and his fists as he couldn't even move. When it stopped he dropped to his hands and knees. A very angered young Coal stood behind the fallen man. "You said you wouldn't do that anymore!" Coal yelled.

Regina felt her heart beat once more as she looked to Coal. Just seeing him alive brought her world back.

Uther held his chest as he looked back at Coal. He started to compare the two. The older Coal against the younger one. He noticed something greatly that only he would pin point. "You were holding back." He hissed to himself.

"I was not." Coal stated calmly, but you could tell he was still mad.

Uther shook his head and licked his bottom lip. He tasted the blood from the small cut now there. It had been a long, long time since someone made him bleed. He got to his feet and looked down at the young boy. He narrowed his eyes placing more and more pieces together. He took a step towards Coal only to step back when Regina stepped between them.

"You will not be able to harm one hair on his head, without going through me." She pointed to him. She was ready for him and he could feel her magic growing, wanting a reason to use it.

Uther meet her eyes and they were full of fire. A mama bear protecting her cub. Uther whipped the rest of the blood off his lip as he thought carefully. He couldn't just tell her what he knew. "I think we're done for the day." Uther told Regina. He turned on his heels and headed back to the castle. His mind racing with questions. He stormed off so quickly that he didn't notice the serious look coming from Coal as he left.

Regina was too wound up in this whole... Family thing. Uther on the other hand... He had other things on his mind.

Regina let out a breath she had been holding in and let her shoulders drop. She turned to Coal and Edith, she was happy they were safe and alive. Coal really freaked her out when she didn't see him after that blast. She looked him over and noticed a bit of dirt on his face. She reached out and went to wipe the dirt from his cheek, only for Coal to step back, away from her touch. "Coal?" she asked.

The look on Coal's face set off warning bells in her head.

Coal turned to Edith and held out his hand to his sister. Edith took his hand as Coal took her back into the castle. Coal didn't bother to look back, but Edith did, plenty of times, probably even after the two were out of sight. Leaving Regina lost in the past and future.


	28. Technology Can be Magic

Coal paced around Edith's room while Edith stood near her bed twirling her staff around. "You're just paranoid." she stated as she continued to twirl. "Nothing's wrong with mom or dad." She stated.

Coal shook his head. Something was wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it just yet, but they were different. "They are treating us like children." He stated as he stopped and looked to his sister.

"News flash, we are children." Edith stopped twirling her staff and pointed one end at Coal. Making her brother stop as well.

"I haven't been treated like a child since i was eight." He turned to her. He moved the staff out of his way as he continued to pace around the room.

Edith roller her eyes at this. Coal sometimes over thought things, but to accuse their parents of not being their parents was a bit over board. "Dad thought it was funny that I woke you up with mud... Again." She smiled as she flipped her staff over her shoulder. "Do you know how long it took for me to drag that much mud to your room this morning?" She smiled a bit. "Almost three hours." She added.

Coal stopped and looked to Edith, "Can we not change the subject?" he asked. He was frustrated that Edith was not taking this seriously.

"I was only saying that dad thought it was funny." She huffed. She almost dropped her staff, but with a snap of her foot it was right back in her hands twirling as if a beat was never missed.

"When was the last time dad ever called mom darling?" Coal asked as if it was something outrageous.

Edith shrugged, "I don't think I've ever heard him call her darling."

Coal exhaled deeply, "I think Morgana has her hand in this." He pondered.

"Really?" Edith actually stopped her staff this time. She turned to Coal with a shocked and surprised look on her face. "Wait... I don't care. Cus mom and dad are fine. They are just having rough day." She tried to convince her brother that he was wrong.

"What if she replaced mom and dad with clones?" Coal asked as he began to pace.

"Do you know how crazy you sound right now?" Edit asked.

Coal looked to Edith with a very dull expression on his face.

"Just asking." Edith shrugged it off.

"Mom questioned my spell and potion skills today." Coal told her flatly.

Edith had a sour look on her face. "Mom always questions your skills."

"Not like she normally does. It was like she had no idea where I was in my studies." He told Edith.

"How did she question them this time?" Edith asked.

"She..." Coal found it hard to describe how Regina was this morning. "Think of it this way." Coal walked over and took the staff from Edith.

"Hey!" Edith protested.

Coal held up his finger. "Lets try something new today." He started.

Edith rose a brow to her brother.

"I'm going to teach you how to hold a staff." Coal forced a very creepy smile to Edith. "Now think as if that was dad with you and training today." He held back the staff to Edith.

Edith took the staff and slowly looked her brother up and down. "We didn't have training today." She told him.

"Ha!" Coal pointed right at her. "I knew they weren't our parents." He stated.

Edith rolled her lips in and flipped her staff out, whacking Coal right on the top of his head.

"Ow." Coal grabbed his head.

"Just because we didn't train today does not mean mom and dad are not mom and dad." She growled.

Coal grumbled as he rubbed his head. "I'll prove it to you." He told her as he stormed out of her room.

Milady hugged herself to the wall as best as she could. She did not expect for one to leave the room so soon. Lucky for her Coal rushed off in the other direction and didn't even notice her. She watched as he hurried down the hall and headed for his own room.

"Fine be a little whinny brat." Edith called out from her door. She slammed the door afterwards and returned to her staff.

Milady had to slowly release her breath as she didn't see that coming either. She looked from Edith's door to Coal's that wasn't too far down the hall. She slipped off the wall and casually walked down towards Coal's room. She was so close to it that she reached out and went to enter, but she stopped when she felt a pinch in her head. She froze and her eyes glowed red before they turned back to normal.

"Understood." she smirked as she continued to walk down the hall.

...

As they sat at Granny's Coal found himself at the bar playing with what little food he had on his plate. Edith in the background talking rather loudly to the others. Belle left to go check on gold and Merry Margret had left to go pick up Henry. He heard the sound of the bell to the door and now David was leaving. Off to pick up his aunt and bring her to the small diner.

Coal tried his hardest to keep the noise out and to keep his thoughts from scrambling. He didn't even hear the bell ring again, nor did he realize that someone sat next to him.

"We meet again." Katie chirped as she sat on the stool next to him.

"I guess we will just keep running into one another." Coal muttered.

Katie tilted her head as she looked at him. She could tell he wasn't exactly in the best of moods. But a sly smile crossed her lips as she ordered some coffee from Granny. "You look bummed out." Katie stated.

"Rough day?" She asked when Coal didn't answer her.

Katie blinked as she watched Coal just stare at his plate. "Anyone home?" she asked as she reached out and pushed him a little.

Coal snapped from his train of thought and turned to Katie. "Sorry, didn't see you there." He told her as he took in a deep breath and looked around.

"Really? Cus you answered me." She held back her amusement.

"I did?" Coal asked as he gave her his attention.

Katie smiled with a sharp nod. "You did." she confirmed.

Coal let out a sigh, "Sorry, I was thinking about something." He told her.

Katie frowned her brows and smirked, "Good find Sherlock." she laughed a little as her coffee was placed before her. Katie was quick to add sugar as she had been itching for this cup for a good while now. She blew gently onto her cup, looking over at him. "What were you thinking about?" she asked before taking a sip.

Coal watched her for a moment. "Its kind of complicated." Coal told her.

Katie smirked as she continued to sip on her cup. She finally placed it down and turned to her bag. She pulled out a pen and note pad, she flipped open the note pad and clicked her pen. "Try me." she smiled.

Coal really didn't expect that kind of reaction. "Its... a spell. actually."

Katie's eyes shot wide as she locked onto him. "You mean like magic?" she asked in an almost whisper.

Coal slowly nodded. "Not 'like' magic, it is magic." He spoke slowly.

Katie smiled and held back a small squeak. "Please let me help." She begged as she hopped in her chair.

Coal didn't realize the smile inching across his face at her reaction. "I don't know if you can actually help, but..." He saw her eyes grow larger as she gave him the puppy dog eyes. "Why not?" he shrugged.

Katie cheered to herself as she hopped more in her seat. She placed the note pad and pen down as she reached back into her bag and pulled out her glasses. She placed them on and picked up her pen and paper. "I'm ready." She declared.

Coal rubbed the back of his neck as he wasn't sure why he was actually happy to try and figure out this spell. He was having trouble with it before, and the noise didn't help. But with Katie excited about helping, he felt a bit more at ease. "Well... We're going to need a mirror." he started.

Katie nodded with a stern look on her face as she wrote down 'mirror' onto the paper. "Then what?" she asked looking back at him.

Her question knocked him off guard as he was distracted by her. Coal had to think quickly on his feet so she didn't think he was just staring at her. "Umm.." He closed his eyes as he thought of what was next on the list for the spell. "Elm's root." He continued to think as Katie continued to write. "A lotus peddle, harpies salt and..." Coal tried to think of the last ingredient. "A bit of dragon's blood." He told her.

Katie nodded as she looked over the list. "Is that it?" she asked.

Coal nodded. "Well, that and crap tone of power." He sighed. He was really hoping that him and his Aunt were strong enough to get the message across through time. He recalled his Aunt creating a time travel spell, but that involved a baby... He was not looking to sacrifice a life to just send a message. If his parents were strong enough to launch themselves through time... they were strong enough to get themselves back. But they needed something to help guide them.

Coal paused as it hit him. "Son of a bitch." he whispered.

Katie looked up from the list and to Coal very confused. "Did you just call me.."

"No... not you." Coal quickly told her. Coal quickly jumped from his seat and headed out the door. Katie sat there for a second or two before she grabbed her things. "Where are we going?" she asked as she grabbed her cup of coffee and downed what she could before following him.

She caught up to him as he was heading right for Gold's shop.

"He might have something that will work better than the mirror." He stated out loud as they crossed the street.

"Like a thing..." Coal was getting frustrated that he couldn't describe what he was thinking about. "Henry has one." He stated as they got to the door. "A messenger box..." Coal stopped and turned to face Katie. "The magical one, where you send a message and they can respond right back to you..." He made a motion with his hands to try and show her the size of Henry's phone.

"You mean a phone?" she asked dully.

"Yes! That's exactly it." He pointed to her with both hands.

Katie reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. "And here I am helping." She smiled as she handed over her phone.

Coal took the phone and looked it over. "Now all we need is two more things." He told her as he turned and entered into Gold's shop.


	29. I call it Magiick

Once Upon a Time...

Long, long ago, there once was a world with no magic. Happy Endings were only in dreams, and dreams never came true.

A tall man stood among others. His clothing was well designed with great detail. You would not know this unless standing next to him, for all his clothing was in black. His hair brushed back and his face was clean shaven. His eyes dark as he looked out at the crowd around him. His eyes drifted to the far back of the throne room where the royal family sat.

"Long. Live. The king." Came a voice from behind the man.

The man turned to the new comer as a sly smirk crossed his lips.

"Wouldn't you say Uther?" The man asked.

"Grigori Rasputin." Uther nodded.

Rasputin was an inch or so shorter that Uther, thinner, and his jet black hair matched his long beard. His garments were simple, holding only the colors of red. Rasputin calmly placed his hands behind his back as he approached Uther.

Uther leaned on his cane trying to straighten himself as much as he could. "I'm sorry to hear about what had happen to you my old friend." Rasputin motioned to the cane.

Uther glanced down to the cane before putting on a strong face. "War does not come with an easy price." Uther told him.

Rasputin nodded, "And yet it sickens me. While Nicholas bathes in the glories, men like us live with the... repercussions." Rasputin looked to the room and his eyes landed on the royal family. "If only there was a way to reverse..."

"To speak in such tone, in such a crowed space?" Uther stopped Rasputin words... for now.

Rasputin slowly turned his gaze to Uther. "We have been friends for a very long time." He told Uther.

Uther smirked at the new topic of conversation. "Before we could even talk." He gave to the other a soft smile.

"And look at us now." Rasputin took his hands out from behind his back and motioned to the crowd. "You fought with such honors for the king. You saved his life... And yet here we stand in the shadows. Not even praised upon by those we have saved... And for what?" Rasputin looked to Uther.

Uther could not deny the truth of his old friend's words. Truth was there in plain sight, while they stood in the shadows. But it did not matter. No matter what they sacrificed, they would still be over looked.

Uther felt a frown grace his lips as his eyes dropped to the floor. He turned to Rasputin as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Old friend." Rasputin started to smile. "I pray for the day that you get what you deserve." His words were honest and true. Rasputin was not known for his true intentions, but Uther had known him for such a long time, he knew when the other spoke truth and honesty.

Uther nodded once at the man. "I pray as well for your future endeavors."

This brought a genuine smile to Rasputin's face followed by a rough sigh. "Come and visit me later. I wish to share something with you." He told Uther before walking off into the dark corridors.

Uther watched him leave before turning back to the King and his family. His eyes watched them carefully as he could already tell one of King Nicholas' daughters was already not where she should be.

He almost fell over when he felt something bump into his leg. He looked down at a much younger Katie... When he would know first as, "Princess Anastasia." He stated firmly and proudly. He gave the young girl a slight bow as she smiled back to him.

"Sir Uther Pendragon." She curtsied.

Uther smiled to her. "Your father would not be pleased that you are wandering about at such a time." He told her.

Anastasia giggled as she tried to hide her smile.

Uther gripped his cane as he chose to try and kneel before her. As painful as it was, he managed to do so for the princess. Out of all the other daughters, Anastasia was one of a kind. Her heart was pure and duty did not stop her chase of adventure. As his eyes meet hers he found it very strange at times. He had meet the eyes of the others in the royal family, but her's stood out and did not seem to match with the others. Even with this strange feeling he would never question it.

Before Uther or Anastasia could say anything else, a man made his way over to them. Not just any man, the king himself. Upon noticing the king, Uther lowered his head even more.

"Anastasia." He stated in a stern tone of voice. Anastasia turned to her father and found her smile to run away rather quickly. "Why don't you go and join your mother and sisters." More of a command than a request.

Anastasia nodded slowly before rushing off. Nicholas turned to Uther and walked a bit closer. Uther stayed on his knee and held his head down for his king. Nicholas leaned over to Uther, "Why don't you retire for the night." He told him. "And by the morning make sure you are no long residing in my castle." He told him in a hushed tone.

Uther felt a pinch in his chest as he slowly nodded. "As you wish my king." He stated.

Once Nicholas walked away from Uther, Uther struggled to get back to his feet. The pain in his back, pinch and twisted as he stood in the shadows. He had given up his life for his king and yet here he was, being tossed out into the freezing cold winter. He kept his eyes low as he made his way out of the court room.

He had spent the next few hours packing his bit of things. He placed his metals on his bag, wondering why he would even take them with him. He sighed as he felt as if his world came to an end, but yet he was still alive. He should have died on that surgery table. He should have died when he took that bullet for his king. Uther felt a sharp pain curse through his leg making him fall to the ground. Uther felt it hard to breath as he grabbed onto his leg.

Only after the pain had passed was he able to fill his lungs once more. It took him some time before he could once again stand, instead of standing he found himself sitting on his bed next to his bag. A hand on his knee as he felt sorry for himself. He slowly looked up and locked eyes with his reflection in the mirror.

Uther Pendragon was once a proud man who protected his king. Now he was a cripple, a pathetic worthless man.

Uther knew he would never be able to see his old self again. He forced his way through the pain as he got up, gripping his cane tightly. He would leave the castle grounds soon... But not before he said good bye to a very old and dear friend.

...

Uther found himself making his way to the dungeons. He had already visited Rasputin's chambers, only to not find him there. He got word from the chambermaid that he could find the man in his study, which was located deep in the castle near the dungeons. The man liked the peace and quiet, he also was not a fan of the sunlight, which made the location ideal for Rasputin's mind to work.

He opened the door to Rasputin's study and found the place to be like it has always been... a mess. The man was a genius... And like most... He was not very tidy.

"Grigori?" Uther called out as he slowly made his way through the large messy room.

"Uther?" Came a voice from the distance.

"It is I." Uther stopped to look at a large jar holding something inside it. He leaned down finding his stomach turning as he could tell it was a preserved heart in some kind of clear liquid. "I have come to say goodbye." Uther did not really shout these words as he stood back up.

Rasputin popped out from behind a book case and looked to Uther. "Goodbye?" he asked.

Uther looked to Rasputin and nodded. " My services are no longer needed. There for i must move forward with my life... Else where." He stated sadly.

Rasputin smirked at this. "Exactly." He stated before dipping back behind the book case.

Uther was confused by this. Rasputin sounded... Happy?

Uther made his way through the room, trying to keep up with the noise indicating where his friend was located. He cursed at how big the room was followed by how many obstacles he had to over come just to get from one end to the other. finally he had made it to the back of the room where Rasputin was. A bit of clearing made Uther sigh a bit, but he sucked his breath right back into his chest when he noticed a rather clean table with eight items on it. The items were random, but one stood out.

A live beating heart.

"What in god's name?" Uther had to take a step back.

Rasputin stood on the other side of the table and smiled. "God has nothing to do with this." Rasputin stated in a dark voice.

Uther looked up form the table only to look back at the still beating heart.

"What have you done?" Uther was afraid to even ask.

Rasputin laughed as he locked eyes with Uther.

"I call it... Magiick."


	30. Cursed

**I have made this chapter extra special as it is chapter 30! I'm surprised that I have gotten this far with the story and there is much, much, much more to come. I really hope everyone is enjoying this as much as I am writing it.**

 **Comments are more than welcomed. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on how the story is moving along. (^_^)**

...

Uther could recall that day like no other. Upon that night, his life changed forever... along with the rest of the world's.

He entered into Regina's room and found her sitting at her vanity brushing her hair. She locked eyes on him when she noticed his reflection in her mirror. "The boy still lives." He muttered. Although he wished otherwise.

Regina narrowed her eyes at him before turning in her seat. "What happen today, will not happen again." She stated as she watched him.

Uther payed no mind to her threat or warnings anymore. He would kill the boy, weather it be in this time or in the past. He was determined to make sure this child does not lie. But with the events from earlier, it made him question more about this child... and this so called future.

Coal had been holding back, like he did not want them to see what he could do with Uther's magic. This pulled at Uther's own past. Something he had been suppressing for centuries. It could be the boy or it could be the mention of Rasputin... Either way, those long forgotten thoughts were coming back at full force.

"Did you hear me?" Regina asked in a bitter tone.

Uther looked over to her, "Every word." He stated.

Regina felt angered by his reply. She was about to say more when Uther turned and made his way to the door. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"That is none of your business." He stated as he opened the door and quickly left the room. He would have stayed, but something else had caught his attention. That 'boy' was using his magic... again.

Leaving Regina alone with her anger, as much as he loved seeing her angry, this felt more important. As he made his way through the halls, he glanced to the windows, seeing that it was already late within the night. He had been wandering for hours all day, leaving him unaware of the time. Noticing the positioning of the moon he questioned why the boy would be using magic at such an hour.

He came down the hall and soon was standing outside the boys room. If caught here, only one person would think that his intentions were bad. But rather the opposite. Uther was more than curious.

He placed a hand on the door and slowly opened it. Peeking into the room he found it rather clean. Larger than he had anticipated and the walls were covered with full book shelves.

The room was dark except for one light candle by the child's bed. Making his way over to the bed side, he found an open book and a sleeping Coal. His eyes locked onto the child for a moment. He could kill him now and get this over with, but his eyes drifted towards the book. He knew that spell better than anyone. He picked up the book and read it over before turning the page and then back to the original page.

Why would a boy need a sleeping spell? He thought to himself. not just any sleeping spell, this was Uther's personal sleeping spell. He had created it back when he first gotten his magic. Back when memories of his past were too much for him to sleep. He looked back to the boy and noticed the markings on his arm. Uther would draw those markings on his arm to activate the spell. They would stay there or a few hours and then fade. Once they faded or when someone would wipe them away, Coal would wake.

He closed the book and placed it back down on the table.

"So it is true." Came a echoy voice.

Uther quickly looked around the room to find the person that the voice belonged to. He knew that voice... How could he forget it?

"At first I thought it was someone just posing as you... But here you are... in the flesh."

Uther stopped and looked to the other side of the room, spotting a dark green glow coming from the mirror. He slowly made his way over and found a familiar face.

"Grigori?" he asked. shocked to see the man.

Rasputin chuckled at Uther's words. "It's been a long time old friend." he stated. "Well... For you." He added. "since you are not of this time." Rasputin smirked.

Uther watched Rasputin with cautious eyes. The man never stated his clear thoughts, but Uther felt this was one of those rare times he knew what he was talking about.

"My little mouse told me all about this little reunion." Rasputin was also known to talk a lot as well. "How you are not from this time." Rasputin rose a brow at Uther.

Uther held back his words.

Rasputin didn't seem to like this very much. He twisted his fingers in the air, drawing Uther's attention back to the sleeping Coal.

Coal stirred in his sleep, tossing over to his other side. Uther was easy to make the connection between the two. Rasputin had been giving the boy nightmares it seemed. This would answer why the boy had the spell and why he was actually using it. Uther looked back to the mirror.

"No?" he asked. "How about now?" he asked as he made his hand into a fist.

Uther turned back to Coal as the boy started to whimper and cry in his sleep. Uther turned back to Rasputin with a very dulled expression.

Rasputin looked shocked at Uther's lack of reaction. "This surprises me."

"I can tell." Uther stated in a grumpy tone as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Why would I be concerned with a child?" he asked.

Rasputin blinked at Uther's words. This was followed by a crooked smile. "You have no idea, do you?" he asked.

Uther was finding this conversation to truly be one sided at the moment. "And nor do I care really." Uther could care less if the boy could not sleep due to nightmares and such. All he cared about was the boy's death.

"You don't remember do you?" Rasputin asked.

Uther huffed a deep breath before responding. "I remember killing you." Uther stated. "Which is why I am curious that you are still alive."

Rasputin laughed, "You can't 'kill' the creators of magic. You of all people should know that." He stated. Rasputin held up a tall vile that was attached to a chain around his neck. The top had a skull on it while a snake wrapped around it. The vile held a deep dark green fog that moved around inside slowly. If one looked at it closely, they would know that it was water from the soul river from Hades.

"You still have that old thing?" he asked.

"It's what keeps me alive." He stated. Rasputin studied Uther. His mind twisting with his own thoughts. He narrowed his eyes at Uther as a sly smirk came to his face. "I'm sure you have questions." He stated. Rasputin was enjoying this a bit too much and Uther could tell.

"And I bet you have all the answers." Uther was already tired of this game.

Rasputin laughed a bit at his words. "More like, you have all the answers..." He waved his hand and a dark green cloud covered the mirror. As it cleared Uther wasn't sure what he was looking at. It looked like two statues. One of him and one of Regina. They looked very much different though. He blinked as he could feel it. But it wasn't coming from the statue of himself. He placed a hand to his chest and could feel a strong heart beat.

"That's impossible." He whispered as his eyes turned from the mirror and looked back to Coal. He slowly moved away from the mirror and made his way to Coal's bed side.

Rasputin came back to the mirror with his wicked grin on his face as he watched his old friend. "Take it." He whispered. He wanted to see the look on Uther's face when he saw it. He too also wanted to see it. Not just wanted to see it... But he wanted it... He needed it...

Uther watched Coal carefully as he felt his heart beat get stronger and louder with each second that passed.

Without warning Uther leaned over and shoved his hand into Coal's chest. The boy flinched in his sleep as Uther grasped onto his heart. With a stern tug, Uther removed his hand from Coal's chest, holding his heart in hand. With the soft glow from the one candle, Uther got a better look at the black heart. It wasn't glass like other hearts, no, this heart was like a diamond.

"Now bring it to me." Rasputin hissed in a hushed tone.

Uther's eyes were locked onto the black heart diamond. He felt it beat softly in his hand which kept the same rhythm in his own chest. Uther looked back to Coal. He looked more like Regina, but he could feel his magic rushing through Coal's body. The heart was proof that Coal was indeed his own flesh and blood. "But how?" He whispered to himself.

"Who cares, just give me the heart!" Rasputin grew impatient rather quickly over the matter.

Uther looked back to his old friend, trapped behind the mirror. "How did you get your Reliquary back?" Uther narrowed his eyes.

Rasputin gritted his teeth at this. "That's none of your business." He hissed, spit dripping from his lip.

Uther felt his breath deepen as he could recall more than just that night. He turned back to Coal and without warning shoved his heart back into his chest. Coal took in a deep breath and coughed in his sleep. Uther took his hand back before moving back to the mirror. "What have you done to her?" he asked. His tone more than demanding.

"Give me the heart." Rasputin would not let it go.

"You will answer me." Uther felt like his chest was on fire with anger.

"Give me the heart and I will tell you everything." Rasputin looked at Uther with wide mad eyes.

Uther slowly shook his head.

"GIVE ME THE HEART!" Rasputin yelled as he rushed his hands at the mirror, banging on the glass in hopes to get through.

Uther lowered his eyes as he stood there.

"I have her... I have your wife... I have your future self... I can kill them..."

"Then do it." Uther looked back.

Rasputin was taken back as he was interrupted. "I will do it." He hissed.

"But you can't... now can you?" Uther was testing him. "Because... You don't have them." Uther watched as Rasputin stood there watching him. He had him cornered. Rasputin may have his Reliquary, but something told him that Rasputin lacked physical power. Where ever he was, it was not of this world or realm.

Rasputin snarled at Uther's accusation. He was right on all levels.

"I will have that heart."

"Or what?" Uther interrupted once more. Uther held confidence, something Rasputin lacked at this very moment.

But something dawned on his thoughts as he watched Rasputin. It hit like a home run and he didn't even want to speak his next words. But he needed to know.

"How many?" He asked. Feeling as if the tables were about to turn. "How many of them do you have?" he asked.

Rasputin's facial expression slowly started to change. He went from raving mad, to a fit of laughter. "I only need one." He continued to laugh. "And you... Can't stop me..." He stated right before the mirror changed to Uther's reflection. He didn't like what he saw. He didn't like what he heard either.

If he was only one away... That meant... Uther felt a hitch in his throat as he turned rather quickly to look back at Coal. He slowly made his way over to Coal's bed side. He took a seat on the side of the bed and watched as the child slept. His mind raced with his past and he could not feel but horrible for what they had done back then.

And yet... Here he was... Sleeping before him...

...

"Magiick?" Uther asked as he felt disgusted at the sight of the heart. The other items seemed like junk. A broken sword, a pen, a lamp... He counted nine pieces on the table. But two were part of one if you counted the broken sword as one item.

"They are the 'Nine Pieces of Eight'..." Rasputin claimed as he placed his hands together in front of his face. His devilish smirk could not be hidden. "They are and will be the most powerful item in all the realms." he added.

Uther could not wrap his mind around any of this. "Realms?" he asked. "For god's sake man, you have a beating heart on the table." he hissed as he motioned to the heart.

Rasputin laughed at this. "Not just any heart." He laughed. "That's your heart." He laughed.

Uther was shocked at what he was hearing. "How could that be my heart?" This was it, his long time childhood friend had gone mad.

Rasputin rushed over to Uther before the man could move. He was shocked at how fast he moved, but before he knew it his hand was placed on his chest. Uther froze at what he felt... Nothing. He locked eyes with Rasputin before looking back to the table, "But how?" he felt breathless.

Rasputin continued to laugh. "Magiick." He wiggled his fingers in the air. "For all those years they have trampled on up like dirt. For Nicholas taking the woman I loved... For Him to banish you from his personal guard." His words became bitter with every second. "They will finally know what true power is!" he yelled before laughing.

"With these items, they can never! Never!" Rasputin paused as he looked at the table. "They can never look down on us again." He stated rather calmly.

Uther was not sure how to process all of this. He wondered if this whole thing was a dream. Maybe he had too much at the party at court and this was his mind playing some sick joke on him.

Rasputin picked up one of the items. A vile with a skull on the top of it, hanging from a thin metal chain. A green mist formed in it and began to glow.

Uther rushed back and tripped over his own feet as he fell into a chair. His leg and back were quick to send a shot of pain through his body. He could feel his heart race as the one on the table kept with it's beat. This had to be a sick dream.

"What have you done?" Uther whispered. Even if Rasputin explained what he had created, Uther was still confused.

Rasputin turned to his friend and could see the sheer fear in the man's eyes. He walked over to him slowly and placed both hands on the arm rests to Uther's chair. He looked Uther in the eyes as he whispered. "I have done the impossible. And we... Can finally have our happy endings."

...

Uther leaned forward in his chair. His eyes focused on the items. "Nine Pieces of Eight." He stated.

Rasputin nodded. "And they only activate after our blood has been born." he smirked.

Uther found this very confusing even more so. "The vial?" he asked.

"Reliquary." Rasputin corrected.

Uther rolled his eyes, but moved back to his question. "If they only activate when our blood is born, then how?"

"How is mine activated?" Rasputin asked.

Uther nodded.

Rasputin looked to the reliquary as it glowed. "I have a daughter." he smirked.

Uther shook his head. "You have no children." he stated.

Rasputin chuckled at his words. "Let us just say that Nicholas has one... Bastard child." He turned to his friend.

Uther rose a brow.

"Anastasia, is not of Nicholas' blood, but of my own." He smirked.

Uther was shocked at his words. "But how?"

Rasputin frowned inwardly as he placed the reliquary around his neck. "She was once the love of my life. Until that... Pig, took her away from me." he told his friend.

Uther felt his heart grow heavy. He could recall the attraction between Rasputin and Alexandra. She did love him very much. But a short time before her announcement to wed Nicholas, they were indeed focused on one another.

"Anastasia is your daughter?" Uther asked.

Rasputin shook his head. "That is the name Nicholas has given her." He frowned. "I shall forever know her as Morgana Le Frey." He looked to Uther with soft eyes.

Uther looked to Rasputin with wide eyes.

"That is how much you mean to me. I have named her after your sister." Rasputin frowned as he knew how much Morgana had meant to Uther. "In her loving and dear memory. Morgana shall live on." he added with a deep and heartfelt breath.

Uther shoved his memories of his sister aside. He turned back to his heart upon the table. He paused as the heart began to turn.

"It begins." Rasputin took a step forward.

The heard started to change into glass, with a bright red glow, but the red faded out as the heart took on a harder texture. Smooth like a diamond, and black like dark soul.

"The Black Heart Diamond." Rasputin walked over to the table and picked up the heart. He turned to Uther and held it out to him.

Uther took his heart and felt the weight of the world in his hands.

"Once your blood is born, you shall have your happy ending." he stated.

...

That night Rasputin had only told Uther half of the truth. 'Magiick', or more so known at 'Magic' through the years, was something they should have left alone. Forces of the world were not kind after that night.

A few nights later Rasputin was taken by the darkness. He used his magic to cause an uprising against Nicholas and his family. Anastasia was the only survivor of the blood bath left behind. The family she knew and loved were gone, even the woman Rasputin swore he loved.

Upon the word of the uprising Uther rushed to try and stop Rasputin. He crossed paths with Rasputin dragging the young girl away from the castle. In his attempts to talk some sense into his friend... Rasputin sued his magic to cast Uther away. He fell through the ice and swore he was a goner.

But when he awoke, he found himself in another world. Realm is what Rasputin had called it. A realm far from his own.

Uther felt the sadness in his heart, even if it was no longer in his chest. His eyes rested on the boy before him.

"Forgive me, for I have failed." he told Coal as he took in a shaky breath. He placed a hand over Coal's forehead and within a second he was able to see Coal's memories. He did not remove his hand like he had done with Rumple, instead he kept it there, making sure every memory was placed back exactly how he had found it.

His eyes watered as he felt even more ashamed of his own actions. It may have been his future self, but it was still him. They were good memories, but they were also cursed.

Uther was lost.

Regina had found him.

And together they had made something so special.

A happy ending...

"I'm sorry." Uther placed a hand over Coal's. "Please forgive me."

No matter how happy his ending would be... It could not last...


	31. Steak and Ice Cream

**What characters would you like to see more of? Who are your favorite characters and why? What characters do you not like and why? What would you like to see happen?**

 **Questions I am wanting to know the answers to. lol**

 **It's been a long road with this story and even though i have lots of ideas ahead of me, I'm curious as to what you guys think.**

...

Coal rushed into Gold's shop and immediately paused. "Well this place is a dump." He muttered as Katie joined next to him. She looked around, quietly agreeing with him. She looked over to him with wide eyes, noticing that his focus was on the room. She went to say something when Coal pointed to one side of the room. "You get that side, I'll take this side." He said rather quickly.

Katie was a bit taken back by his sudden orders. He sounded really, really determined. So determined that she wasn't even sure what they were looking for. But he was already behind one of the counters ducking down and going through all sorts of items.

Coal rushed his hands through the items his eyes darting each and every way that he didn't notice Katie standing on the other side of the counter. She cleared her throat, only to be ignored.

She did it again and still Coal was shuffling through items in the counter.

"Coal?" she finally stated.

Coal stood up from behind the counter and placed both hands on the edge as he leaned in her direction. His eyes looking down at the items through the glass. "Yeah?" he asked.

Katie found this rather amusing as she frowned her brows. "That's the second time you have ignored me today." She told him.

Coal looked up and suddenly realized that they were both relatively close. Her face was only inches away from his it seemed. He could even smell the scent of her shampoo. He gulped and looked away trying to hide the fact that his nerves were starting to act up. "sorry..." Coal almost whispered as he felt bad for ignoring her. He honestly didn't mean to. He can sometimes become very focused and the world around him would just, disappear.

Katie rolled her eyes at him. "Sorry wont cut it mister." She folded her arms over her chest.

Coal let his eyes shift back to her. "I'm really sorry?" Coal even questioned his own words.

Katie twisted her lips hiding a smile. "How about you start by telling me... What we are actually looking or." She told him. She tilted her head as she watched his every move.

Coal felt his mind drop as his eyes went wide. It completely slipped his mind. "A bat." Coal stated as he blinked. He motioned his hands together trying to show the size that it would be. "It's like a little charm." he told her.

Katie looked to his hands and then back to him with a sly glaze in her eyes. "Ok." She let her arms drop and then placed them behind her back. "Bat charm it is." She gave him a soft smile before stepping away from the counter and heading over to the other side of the room. Leaving Coal rather focused on her as she walked away.

He watched as she started to move aside rubble from the fight Uther had with Gold and started to look inside one of the glass cases. He pinched his lips together as his mind walked through their interaction. She... wasn't mad... She wasn't really mad that he was focused, so focused that he had ignored her. coal's mind was slowly but surely slipping away from his original task. But then it smacked him right in the face as he snapped back to trying to find the bat charm.

Coal moved over to a new counter and was quick to move things around. The place was still a mess from the fight and things seemed, unorganized. Like there was no pattern as to why everything was placed where it was. Coal found this rather annoying. Coal tossed a few items out of case in hopes to make more room for his search.

"What in the?" Belle wasn't sure how to approach this as Katie stopped and waved to her with a forced smile, but Coal seemed back into his old habit of being too focused. Belle looked around and felt astonished by how she didn't even hear them come in. She looked to the door and realized that the bell was gone. She let her shoulders drop as she let out a rough sigh, only to snap in Coal's direction as he tossed away a few more items before heading over to another counter.

"Stop that!" she pointed at him, "Stop that right now." She stated harshly.

Coal paused and looked up to Belle. He slowly stood up and brushed his hands off.

"We were looking for something." Katie pointed out in a soft voice. By the look and sound of Belle she felt like they were in trouble.

"You could have just asked." She huffed.

"Or we could just look for it, find it and then... Leave." Coal nodded. Coal was not use to people telling him what do, normally he told others what to do. For the most part.

Belle rose a brow to him with a puzzled look on her face.

"Belle?" Gold could be heard from the back room.

Belle sighed as she placed her hands on her hips and looked around the room before heading to the back doorway. "It's only Coal." She told him.

Gold was sitting up in his bed with a rather annoyed stern look on his face. "What does he want?" he asked with a bitter tone. Coal may have helped him, but he still didn't like him.

"It's organized by magic." Coal stated across the room to Katie.

Katie shuffled the few items in her hand and nodded, even though she wasn't sure if she could be any help now. she looked to the items not even sure if she knew what they could do, or if they were just random items.

"You wont find what you're looking for. So you might as well give up now." Gold called out.

"Found it." Coal popped his head in the back room holding up the bat charm. A rather confident grin placed on his face as he looked over the charm.

Katie placed the items down on the counter and forced a smile at this. She was actually curious as to where he had found it. She looked over at where Coal had been looking and noticed that one of the paintings on the wall was open to reveal a hidden compartment.

Katie made her way over to Coal and looked to the bat charm in his hand. She felt strange while looking at it. Like she had seen it somewhere before.

"You will put that back." Gold snarled as he winched, regretting his movement. Belle rushed to his side and he held up a hand to her. He paused as he rolled his lower jaw at his thoughts. He looked to Coal and narrowed his eyes. "You're messing with magic far greater than you think boy." He told him.

Coal smirked as he twirled the bat charm between his fingers. "As are you." He stated with a cocky tone.

"In fact, I do know." Gold stated. "That charm holds a very old magic." He told him.

Coal let his eyes glide from the bat charm to Gold. Still that cocky look in his eyes stated that he had some kind of idea of what Gold was speaking of, possibly more.

"Magic so old that,"

"Even you can't figure it out." Coal cut Gold off.

Gold sneered at the comment. He hated being interrupted, especially when that someone finished his sentence for him. "Exactly." Gold hushed. "Now... Hand it over." Gold held out his hand towards Coal.

Coal looked to Gold's hand and wrapped his fingers tightly around the charm. "No." Coal placed the charm in his pocket.

Gold now held no expression on his face. "It's not yours." he told Coal.

"It's not yours either." Coal pushed back. Coal looked Gold up and down and then smirked at his advantage. "I'll bring it back when I'm done." Coal stated as he turned to leave. "You coming?" he asked Katie.

Katie roller her lips inward and her eyes went rather wide. "Yup." She chirped quickly as she rushed to leave the shop with Coal. She felt rather shocked and a bit scared. Gold was not someone you cross, and yet here she was, with someone who just 'took something from Gold... Right in front of the Dark One.

Gold narrowed his eyes at the door as he felt as if Uther had come right back into his store and took yet something else from him. "No more Mr. Nice-Guy." Gold hissed.

...

Emma sat at the dinner with Killian sitting across from her. She sunk into her seat as she placed one hand to her forehead. She glanced at the counter noticing Coal was still sitting by himself. She sighed as she wasn't sure how to go about all of this. She was known as the Savior. She felt distant from everything that had been going on.

Like back when everyone was starting to pull together and she felt... left out. After being here for so long and people depending on her so much... She actually hated sitting on the sidelines. She couldn't even stand up to this Uther guy, and now look at where they were. Regina and Uther are gone... From what she understood possibly the future. But how could they know that for sure?

Coal seemed pretty confident in his skills and his own assumptions.

she glanced back to the counter and noticed that a girl was now trying to talk to him. She rolled her eyes a bit.

Granny walked over and placed two cups of hot coco in front of them. "I didn't order anything." She told Granny.

Granny smiled at Emma, "I know." she stated as she folded her hands in front of her. "I thought it might help." She stated before leaving the two alone.

Killian watched Granny walk off before turning to Emma. Killian slimmed his eyes at her as he rose a brow. By this time Killian had been down plenty of roads with Emma. More than he could count. Seeing her like so made him feel a bit hopeless at times. He always wanted to do right by her, so saying the wrong thing... He was not looking to have a trial and error run with her emotions. They had already been through so much.

He looked to her hand and spotted the wedding ring he had given her. He went to place his hand over hers and paused, but then continued his motion. He looked up and was able to catch her gaze. "We'll figure this out luv." he told her in a calming voice.

"From where I stand, there's nothing we can't solve together." He gave her a smile. It was a bit awkward as he wasn't one to really throw his thoughts like so around.

But she knew him and she turned her hand around so she could hold his. "You're right." she told him. She too smiled back at him. She could tell her smile brightened up his day as they looked at one another.

"But we can't get through things if 'some people' decide to work alone." she stated. she popped her lips at her words as she went to take a sip of her coco. "Like little brats from the future." she added as her eyes looked back to Coal. Only to not find him there.

Her eyes widened as she spit her coco back into the cup. Killian jumped in his seat a bit completely off guard for this coco attack. "Hot?" he asked.

Emma nodded, "Not just that..." she state. "Hes gone." she whipped her lips with a napkin before getting up from her seat. Killian was quick out of his as well. Looking around the dinner Emma turned to the table behind them where Edith was still sitting. "Where's your brother?" she asked.

Edith looked up while in the middle of taking a rather large bite from her ice cream. She slowly ate as she shrugged her shoulders. She leaned over in hopes to see if he was still where she had last saw him, and not to her surprise... He wasn't there. for her, this was a bit normal. Coal wasn't one to just sit in one spot, especially if told to.

Emma picked up her leather jacket and made her way to the door. Killian was quick to follow but stopped and rushed back over to Edith. "Let's just assume that you are not like your brother and that we can trust you to stay put." he said rather fast.

Edith slowly ate her ice cream still as if she thought his words were obvious. Killian was about to say more when Granny walked over with another dish. a very large steak which brought a light to Edith's eyes.

"Scratch that, I think I'll be more worried about the bill than you leaving." He nodded.

Edith nodded making a humming sound with a quirky smile on her face as she took another bite from her ice cream. She waved to Killian without saying anything before taking the last large bit from her ice cream. She moved the dish aside to make room for the steak.

Emma's eyes darted back and forth as she looked both ways down the street. She had only taken her eyes off him for a second, so he couldn't of gone far. Well, that was her first thought, but then again they were now looking for Regina's son... The one with magic.

Killian was quick to her side, "I don't think the other one is going anywhere, but I might have to think about getting a second job." He stated. Emma frowned her brows at him. She would ask, but they had bigger things on their own plate.

Killian spotted Coal and Katie leaving Gold's shop and motioned Emma to look as well. "Well that didn't last very long." he commented.

Emma felt her nerves bundling up as she thinned her lips at this. Storming across the street with Killian right behind her. To be clear with herself, she had no idea what she was going to say to him. If this were Henry.. It wasn't, cus Henry knew better.

"What is your problem?" she demanded once she was in front of them.

Katie was now knew she was wrong. If she thought Gold was scary, Emma was even more so when angered.

Coal blinked as he shook his head a bit. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"You can't stay put for two seconds can you?" she asked.

Coal narrowed his eyes. "Okay, I really don't see why you're so mad." He stated. "I was only gone for a few minutes." he told her. "What is your problem?" he snapped her words right back at her.

"Regina is missing and Morgana is after you. What if she had attacked you?" she asked. Emma felt her blood boiling up under her skin.

"I can handle myself." Coal told her. Coal was starting to feel his own blood boil. "And last time I checked you are not my mother." Coal added.

Katie felt like this was her fault in some way. She was with Coal when Cal suggested that they go pay Gold's shop a visit... And she didn't stop him.

Coal was really crossing lines with Emma. Her magic still felt fritzy since her run in with Uther. Coal said he would fix that and yet here they were. Coal running off on his own and her magic was not even ready if Morgana struck.

Without warning Emma pulled back her hand and struck hard across Coal's face.

Everyone froze, even Killian who kind of saw that one coming... Took long enough, but he saw it coming.

"If what you say is true, that Regina is your mother, then that makes me your mother too." Emma took a step closer.

"I wouldn't go that far." Killian went to step in, but when he got a warning look from Emma, he swiftly retreated his motions.

Coal placed a hand to left cheek as he slowly turned his attention back to her.

"I don't know what it's like where you're from, but here we are a family. And family doesn't screw one another over." She pointed a finger to the ground.

Coal locked eyes with Emma.

Emma held her gaze and was not going to back down. she felt as if she won when Coal finally looked away from her. He pulled the bat charm from his pocket and took her hand, placing it roughly in her palm.

"What is this?" she asked.

Coal still kept his eyes away from her's as he let out a small breath. "This." he paused. "Is how I'm going to get my mother back." He told her, finally meeting her gaze. "But I'm sure that the savior can do that with her 'family'." he stated before walking past her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Emma called to him.

"Back to the dinner to wait further orders." He called back before continuing to the dinner.

Emma could still feel enraged as she watched him.

"I'm sorry." Katie finally spoke up. "It was all my fault." She added, as she felt that it was her fault.

Killian shook his head, "It's not your fault." He told her. Killian looked to Emma. Once again he wasn't sure what he could do or say to help her in this situation. Coal was more than a handful. He was like a walking contradiction. Causing havoc where ever he went.

Emma looked to the bat charm and then turned to Killian and Katie. She shook her head as she puffed out her cheeks. "I don't know what to do." she let her hands smack against her sides. "He's nothing like Henry."

"That's cus he's not Henry." Killian didn't want to say it, but felt like he needed to.

Emma shook her head as she turned to head back to the dinner. Killian gave her a minute to walk on her own before turning to Katie. "Don't beat yourself up." He told her. He could tell she was already still blaming herself for what just happen.

"I was only trying to help." She muttered.

Killian placed a hand on her shoulder in hopes to comfort her. "We're on the same ship, luv." he told her. Killian motioned back to the dinner. "Maybe together we can do better." he gave her a soft smile. Katie nodded as she felt better about everything. Even though her feelings still felt heavy.

...

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